Key role of electron accessibility at the noble metal-free catalytic interface in hydrogen evolution reaction

The reactant concentration at the catalytic interface holds the key to the activity of electrocatalytic hydrogen evolution reaction(HER),mainly referring to the capacity of adsorbing hydrogen and electron accessibility.With hydrogen adsorption free energy(ΔGH)as a reactivity descriptor,the volcano curve based on Sabatier principle is established to evaluate the hydrogen evolution activity of catalysts.However,the role of electron as reactant received insufficient attention,especially for noble metal-free compound catalysts with poor conductivity,leading to cognitive gap between electronic conductivity and apparent catalytic activity.Herein we successfully construct a series of catalyst models with gradient conductivities by regulating molybdenum disulfide(MoS_(2))electronic bandgap via a simple solvothermal method.We demonstrate that the conductivity of catalysts greatly affects the overall catalytic activity.We further elucidate the key role of intrinsic conductivity of catalyst towards water electrolysis,mainly concentrating on the electron transport from electrode to catalyst,the electron accumulation process at the catalyst layer,and the charge transfer progress from catalyst to reactant.Theoretical and experimental evidence demonstrates that,with the enhancement in electron accessibility at the catalytic interface,the dominant parameter governing overall HER activity gradually converts from electron accessibility to combination of electron accessibility and hydrogen adsorbing energy.Our results provide the insight from various perspective for developing noble metal-free catalysts in electrocatalysis beyond HER.

Carbon dots regulate the interface electron transfer and catalytic kinetics of Pt-based alloys catalyst for highly efficient hydrogen oxidation

The regulation of interface electron-transfer and catalytic kinetics is very important to design the efficient electrocatalyst for alkaline hydrogen oxidation reaction(HOR).Here,we show the Pt-Ni alloy nanoparticles(PtNi_(2))have an enhanced HOR activity compared with single component Pt catalyst.While,the interface electron-transfer kinetics of PtNi_(2)catalyst exhibits a very wide electron-transfer speed distribution.When combined with carbon dots(CDs),the interface charge transfer of PtNi_(2)-CDs composite is optimized,and then the PtNi_(2)-5 mg CDs exhibits about 2.67 times and 4.04 times higher mass and specific activity in 0.1 M KOH than that of 20%commercial Pt/C.In this system,CDs also contribute to trapping H^(+)and H_(2)O generated during HOR,tuning hydrogen binding energy(HBE),and regulating interface electron transfer.This work provides a deep understanding of the interface catalytic kinetics of Pt-based alloys towards highly efficient HOR catalysts design.

Effect of electrolyte cation-mediated mechanism on electrocatalytic carbon dioxide reduction

The steep reduction in costs and systematic optimization of renewable electricity has ignited an intensifying interest in harnessing electroreduction of carbon dioxide(CO_(2)RR)for the generation of chemicals and fuels.The focus of research over the past few decades has been on the optimization of the electrode and the electrolyte environment.Notably,cation species in the latter have recently been found to dramatically alter the selectivity of CO_(2)RR and even their catalytic activity by multiple orders of magnitude.As a result,the selection of cations is a critical factor in designing catalytic interfaces with high selectivity and efficiency for targeted products.Informed decision-making regarding cation selection relies on a comprehensive understanding of prevailing electrolyte effect models that have been used to elucidate observed experimental trends.In this perspective,we review the hypotheses that explain how electrolyte cations influence CO_(2)RR by mechanisms such as through tuning of the interfacial electric field,buffering of the local pH,stabilization of the key intermediates and regulation of the interfacial water.Our endeavor is to elucidate the molecular mechanisms underpinning cation effects,thus fostering the evolution of more holistic and universally applicable predictive models.In this regard,we highlight the current challenges in this area of research,while also identifying potential avenues for future investigations.