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Vol. 16 (2024)

Ultra-Efficient and Cost-Effective Platinum Nanomembrane Electrocatalyst for Sustainable Hydrogen Production

https://doi.org/10.1007/s40820-024-01324-5
Xiang Gao
Department of Mechanical Engineering, College of Engineering, City University of Hong Kong, Tat Chee Avenue, Kowloon Tong, Kowloon, Hong Kong, People’s Republic of China
Shicheng Dai
Department of Mechanical Engineering, College of Engineering, City University of Hong Kong, Tat Chee Avenue, Kowloon Tong, Kowloon, Hong Kong, People’s Republic of China
Yun Teng
Department of Mechanical Engineering, College of Engineering, City University of Hong Kong, Tat Chee Avenue, Kowloon Tong, Kowloon, Hong Kong, People’s Republic of China
Qing Wang
Laboratory for Microstructures, Institute of Materials, Shanghai University, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China
Zhibo Zhang
Department of Mechanical Engineering, College of Engineering, City University of Hong Kong, Tat Chee Avenue, Kowloon Tong, Kowloon, Hong Kong, People’s Republic of China
Ziyin Yang
Department of Mechanical Engineering, College of Engineering, City University of Hong Kong, Tat Chee Avenue, Kowloon Tong, Kowloon, Hong Kong, People’s Republic of China
Minhyuk Park
Department of Mechanical Engineering, College of Engineering, City University of Hong Kong, Tat Chee Avenue, Kowloon Tong, Kowloon, Hong Kong, People’s Republic of China
Hang Wang
Department of Mechanical Engineering, College of Engineering, City University of Hong Kong, Tat Chee Avenue, Kowloon Tong, Kowloon, Hong Kong, People’s Republic of China
Zhe Jia
School of Materials Science and Engineering, Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Advanced Metallic Materials, Southeast University, Nanjing, People’s Republic of China
Yunjiang Wang
State Key Laboratory of Nonlinear Mechanics, Institute of Mechanics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
Yong Yang
Department of Mechanical Engineering, College of Engineering, City University of Hong Kong, Tat Chee Avenue, Kowloon Tong, Kowloon, Hong Kong, People’s Republic of China

Corresponding Author: Yong Yang

yonyang@cityu.edu.hk

Nano-Micro Letters, Vol. 16 (2024), Article Number: 108

Abstract

Hydrogen production through hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) offers a promising solution to combat climate change by replacing fossil fuels with clean energy sources. However, the widespread adoption of efficient electrocatalysts, such as platinum (Pt), has been hindered by their high cost. In this study, we developed an easy-to-implement method to create ultrathin Pt nanomembranes, which catalyze HER at a cost significantly lower than commercial Pt/C and comparable to non-noble metal electrocatalysts. These Pt nanomembranes consist of highly distorted Pt nanocrystals and exhibit a heterogeneous elastic strain field, a characteristic rarely seen in conventional crystals. This unique feature results in significantly higher electrocatalytic efficiency than various forms of Pt electrocatalysts, including Pt/C, Pt foils, and numerous Pt single-atom or single-cluster catalysts. Our research offers a promising approach to develop highly efficient and cost-effective low-dimensional electrocatalysts for sustainable hydrogen production, potentially addressing the challenges posed by the climate crisis.


Highlights:
1 A percolating network of distorted 2D Pt nanomembranes was synthesized by polymer surface buckling-enabled exfoliation for hydrogen evolution reaction.
2 The 2D Pt nanomembrane enabled important technological applications for its high efficiency, low costs, and good stability, making it potential alternative to commercial Pt/C.
3 Our 2D Pt nanomembranes offer insights into a new mechanism for efficient catalyst design strategy: lattice distortion-induced heterogeneous strain.

Keywords

Platinum Hydrogen evolution reaction Lattice distortion Heterogeneous strain
Gao, Xiang, Shicheng Dai, Yun Teng, Qing Wang, Zhibo Zhang, Ziyin Yang, Minhyuk Park, Hang Wang, Zhe Jia, Yunjiang Wang, and Yong Yang. 2024. “Ultra-Efficient and Cost-Effective Platinum Nanomembrane Electrocatalyst for Sustainable Hydrogen Production”. Nano-Micro Letters 16 (February):108. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40820-024-01324-5.
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