Authors: Kang Jiang, Zhixiao Liu, Zhen Wang, Feng Xie, Xinyi Yuan, Yongwen Tan
Published: 2025-03-18
Source: Full article
AbstractMetallizing active sites to control the structural and kinetic dissociation of water at the catalyst–electrolyte interface, along with elucidating its mechanism under operating conditions, is a pivotal innovation for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). Here, a design of singly dispersed Pt–Co sites in a fully metallic state on nanoporous Co2P, tailored for HER, is introduced. An anion‐exchange‐membrane water electrolyzer equipped with this catalyst can achieve the industrial current densities of 1.0 and 2.0 A cm−2 at 1.71 and 1.85 V, respectively. It is revealed that the singly dispersed Pt–Co sites undergo self‐adaptive distortion under operating conditions, which form a Pt1Co6 configuration with a strongly negative charge that optimizes reactant binding and reorganizes the interfacial water structure, resulting in an improved concentration of potassium (K+) ions in the closest ion plane. The K+ ions interact cooperatively with H2O (K·H2O), which strengthens the Pt–H binding interaction and facilitates the polarization of the H─OH bond, leading to improved HER activity. This study not only propels the advancement of cathodic catalysts for water electrolysis but also delineates a metallization strategy and an interface design principle, thereby enhancing electrocatalytic reaction rates.