Engineering Metal-Support Interaction for Manipulate Microenvironment: Single-Atom Platinum Decorated on Nickel-Chromium Oxides Toward High-Performance Alkaline Hydrogen Evolution

Abstract

Rational construction of platinum (Pt)-based single-atom catalysts (SACs) with high utilization of active sites holds promise to achieve superior electrocatalytic alkaline HER performance, which requires the assistance of functional supports. In this work, a novel catalytic configuration is reported, namely, Pt SACs anchored on the nickel-chromium oxides labeled as Pt SACs-NiCrO3/NF. The mechanism associated with the metal-support interaction (MSI) for synergy co-catalysis that empowers efficient HER on Pt SACs-NiCrO3/NF is clarified. Specifically, the modulated electron structure in Pt SACs-NiCrO3 manipulates the interface microenvironment, mediating a more free water state, which is beneficial to accelerate front water dissociation behavior on the oxide support. Besides, the homogeneously distributed Pt sites with the created near-acidic state ensure the subsequent fast proton-involved reaction. All these determine the comprehensively accelerating HER kinetics. Consequently, Pt SACs-NiCrO3/NF deliverers considerable HER performance, with overpotentials (η10/η100) of 23/122 mV, high mass activity of 382.77 mA mg−1Pt. When serving in an alkaline water-based anion exchange membrane electrolytic cell (AEMWE), Pt SACs-NiCrO3/NF also presents excellent performance (100 mA cm−2 at the cell voltage of 1.51 V and stable up to 100 h), confirming its good prospect.