Phosphorus‐Enhanced Bimetallic Single‐Atom Catalysts for Hydrogen Evolution
Abstract Single‐atom catalysts (SACs), where individual metal atoms are anchored on support, hold great promise for electrocatalytic hydrogen evolution reactions (HERs). The inherent simplicity of the single‐atom center restricts opportunities for further enhancement. Binuclear SACs, incorporating two different metal sites, can further improve HER kinetics. However, the underlying mechanisms of the HER at the binuclear sites are complex and not fully understood, hampering the design of new efficient catalyst structures. Here, a comprehensive investigation is presented into phosphorus‐doped iron and cobalt bimetallic SACs supported on nitrogen‐doped graphitic carbon (P/FeCo‐NC), focusing on the potential mechanisms underpinning their enhanced HER activity. P/FeCo‐NC exhibits overpotentials of 38 and 95 mV at 10 mA cm 2 in 0.5 m H 2 SO 4 and 1 m KOH, respectively, nearing the acidic performance of commercial Pt/C (33 mV). Theoretical studies reveal that the phosphorus bridge significantly alters the electronic properties of the Fe active sites, while the adjacent Co atoms modulate the electronic environment, further optimizing the hydrogen adsorption‐free energy toward more favorable kinetics. This work highlights the structure‐activity relationships of bimetallic SACs and opens perspectives for future applications.
Authors
- Xiafang Tao (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7621-5310)
- Mischa Bonn (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6851-8453)
- Yazhou Zhou (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0446-2291)
- Hai I. Wang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0940-3984)
- Ruihu Lu (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8405-5962)
- Kläus Müllen (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6630-8786)
- Jianfeng Liu (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1172-7080)
- Yan Liu (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0007-6279-4570)
- Juan Yang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0488-9105)
Institutions
- Jiangsu University (CN)
- VSB - Technical University of Ostrava (CZ)
- University of Auckland (NZ)
- Utrecht University (NL)
- Wuhan University of Technology (CN)
- Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research (DE)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Advanced Energy Materials
- Published
- 2024-10-12
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1002/aenm.202404167
- Citations
- 44
- Primary Topic
- Electrocatalysts for Energy Conversion
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 4.50
Funders
- Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft
- National Natural Science Foundation of China
- Max-Planck-Gesellschaft
- Horizon 2020 Framework Programme