Pinpointing the axial ligand effect on platinum single-atom-catalyst towards efficient alkaline hydrogen evolution reaction
Open accessAbstract
Developing active single-atom-catalyst (SAC) for alkaline hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) is a promising solution to lower the green hydrogen cost. However, the correlations are not clear between the chemical environments around the active-sites and their desired catalytic activity. Here we study a group of SACs prepared by anchoring platinum atoms on NiFe-layered-double-hydroxide. While maintaining the homogeneity of the Pt-SACs, various axial ligands (−F, −Cl, −Br, −I, −OH) are employed via a facile irradiation-impregnation procedure, enabling us to discover definite chemical-environments/performance correlations. Owing to its high first-electron-affinity, chloride chelated Pt-SAC exhibits optimized bindings with hydrogen and hydroxide, which favor the sluggish water dissociation and further promote the alkaline HER. Specifically, it shows high mass-activity of 30.6 A mgPt −1 and turnover frequency of 30.3 H 2 s −1 at 100 mV overpotential, which are significantly higher than those of the state-of-the-art Pt-SACs and commercial Pt/C catalyst. Moreover, high energy efficiency of 80% is obtained for the alkaline water electrolyser assembled using the above catalyst under practical-relevant conditions.
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The doped nitrogen sites in the graphene sheets can prevent the aggregation and migration of PtNi nanoparticles on the graphene network and thus endow enhanced electrocatalytic stability.
“which can prevent the aggregation and migration of PtNi nanoparticles on the graphene network and thus endow an enhanced electrocatalytic stability.[19]”
From Highly Open Phosphorized PtNi Nanohexapod/N‐doped Graphene Aerogel for High‐Performance Alkaline Hydrogen Evolution (2025) · cites this paper as [19]
The Results and discussion section describes isolated Pt atoms on NiFe-layered double hydroxide and reports that no nanoparticles were detected. Searches for PtNi nanoparticles, nitrogen-doped graphene, and prevention of aggregation or migration found no passage addressing the claimed stability mechanism. The paper's different catalyst does not establish that the proposed mechanism is false. (LLM, conf=0.75)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredThe NGA has an excellent anchoring effect that avoids the aggregation and Ostwald ripening of the PtNiNHs.
“an excellent anchoring effect of the NGA to avoid the aggregation and Ostwald ripening of the PtNiNHs”
From Highly Open Phosphorized PtNi Nanohexapod/N‐doped Graphene Aerogel for High‐Performance Alkaline Hydrogen Evolution (2025) · cites this paper as [19]
The Results and discussion section describes Pt single atoms dispersed on NiFe-LDH nanosheets, not PtNiNHs anchored by NGA. Searches for NGA, PtNiNHs, aggregation, and Ostwald ripening found no passage addressing the claimed anchoring effect. Page numbers were not available in our copy. (LLM, conf=0.77)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
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- Authors
- Zhang, T., Jin, J., Chen, J., Fang, Y., Han, X., Chen, J., Li, Y., Wang, Y., Liu, J., & Wang, L.
- Affiliations
- National University of Singapore (SG)
- Chinese Academy of Sciences (CN)
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Resource Engineering (CN)
- Corresponding author
- Liu, Junfeng
- Wang, Lei
- Venue
- Nature Communications
- Published
- 2022-11-12
- Volume
- 13
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 6875-6875
- ISSN
- 2041-1723 (ISSN-L)
- PMC
- PMC9653394
- OpenAlex
- W4309046866
- Cited by
- 296
- References
- 4
- Citations by year
- 2026: 69 · 2025: 90 · 2024: 77 · 2023: 58 · 2022: 2
- FWCI
- 10.22
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- gold
- doi.org
- Locations
- Nature Communications (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- RePEc: Research Papers in Economics (submittedVersion)
- DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
- Funders
- National Research Foundation Singapore (NRF-NRFF13-2021-0007)
- Agency for Science, Technology and Research (U2102d2002)
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Energy › Renewable Energy, Sustainability and the Environment › Electrocatalysts for Energy Conversion
- Physical Sciences › Materials Science › Materials Chemistry › Catalytic Processes in Materials Science
- Physical Sciences › Energy › Renewable Energy, Sustainability and the Environment › CO2 Reduction Techniques and Catalysts
- Keywords
- platinum single-atom catalysts, axial ligand effects, alkaline hydrogen evolution reaction, NiFe layered double hydroxide, water dissociation, hydrogen adsorption, green hydrogen production, alkaline water electrolysis, mass activity, energy efficiency
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