Green Hydrogen, produced through electrocatalytic water splitting, is gaining recognition as a promising and sustainable alternative to fossil fuels. The production efficiency of this process relies heavily on the electrocatalyst used. However, there is still limited knowledge about how the crystal phase of catalysts affects their performance.
To bridge this knowledge gap, Dr Zhang Xiao (Assistant Professor of Department of Mechanical Engineering, PolyU) collaborated with an international team to develop innovative catalysts using a phase-controlled growth process. The discovery, Dr Zhang as the co-first author, published in one of the world’s premier science journals, Nature. The paper titled “Phase-dependent growth of Pt on MoS2 for highly efficient H2 evolution” was published on 13 September 2023 in London. (Nature, 621, 300–305 (2023), 10.1038/s41586-023-06339-3).
The research team utilized transition-metal dichalcogenide (TMD) nanosheets as supports, which directed the growth of noble metals and resulted in improved efficiency and stability during the electrocatalytic hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). It was found that the hexagonal-phase (2H) template enables the epitaxial growth of platinum (Pt) nanoparticles, while the unconventional 1T'-phase template supports the dispersion of single Pt atoms (s-Pt). This important finding led to the creation of a highly efficient catalyst, s-Pt/1T'-MoS2, for HER. Remarkably, this catalyst demonstrated sustainability by operating continuously for 500 hours in a water electrolyzer.
This groundbreaking discovery revolutionizes phase engineering in nanomaterials, unlocking exciting new opportunities for designing and creating highly efficient catalysts. With its contribution to cleaner energy sources and promotion of sustainable growth, this research is a major milestone in the field of renewable energy, showcasing its great potential to achieve carbon neutrality goals of Hong Kong.
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