Two efficient and inexpensive novel electrocatalysts for hydrogen production offering sustainable green solutions for the energy crisis have been developed by City University of Hong Kong. A research team co-led by CityU materials scientists has recently developed an innovative, ultra-stable and highly efficient Hydrogen Evolution Reaction electrocatalyst. The experiments found that the new catalyst exhibits excellent electrocatalytic activity, long- term durability and ultra-stability. The new electrocatalyst is based on two-dimensional mineral gel nanosheets and does not contain any precious metals. It can be produced on a large scale and help achieve a lower hydrogen price in the future.The new electrocatalyst, based on AlMnRu (aluminium, manganese and ruthenium) films, has a crystalline-amorphous (non-crystalline) dual-phase nanostructure. Dual-phase materials are needed because each phase has separate benefits: the local chemical inhomogeneity, short-range order and severe lattice distortion in the nanocrystalline phase are desirable, while the amorphous phase offers abundant active sites with a lower energy barrier for hydrogen evolution reaction.Compared with other common single-atom substrate precursors, such as porous frameworks and carbon, we found that mineral hydrogels have great advantages for the mass production of electrocatalysts owing to the easy availability of the raw materials, a simple, environmentally friendly synthetic procedure, and mild reaction conditions, says Professor Lu Jian, Chair Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering and the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at CityU, who led the research.Electrochemical HER is a widely used hydrogen-generation method. Commercial HER electrocatalysts are made from expensive precious metals. A promising type of HER electrocatalyst intensively studied by scientists is single-atom catalysts for their potential in catalytic HER applications because of their high activity, maximised atomic efficiency, and minimised catalyst usage. However, the fabrication of single-atom catalysts is generally complicated, and requires a lot of energy and time.The findings were published in Nature Communications under the title Two-dimensional mineral hydrogel-derived single atoms-anchored
Two efficient and inexpensive novel electrocatalysts for hydrogen production offering sustainable green solutions for the energy crisis have been developed by City University of Hong Kong. A research team co-led by CityU materials scientists has recently developed an innovative, ultra-stable and highly efficient Hydrogen Evolution Reaction electrocatalyst. The experiments found that the new catalyst exhibits excellent electrocatalytic activity, long- term durability and ultra-stability. The new electrocatalyst is based on two-dimensional mineral gel nanosheets and does not contain any precious metals. It can be produced on a large scale and help achieve a lower hydrogen price in the future.The new electrocatalyst, based on AlMnRu (aluminium, manganese and ruthenium) films, has a crystalline-amorphous (non-crystalline) dual-phase nanostructure. Dual-phase materials are needed because each phase has separate benefits: the local chemical inhomogeneity, short-range order and severe lattice distortion in the nanocrystalline phase are desirable, while the amorphous phase offers abundant active sites with a lower energy barrier for hydrogen evolution reaction.Compared with other common single-atom substrate precursors, such as porous frameworks and carbon, we found that mineral hydrogels have great advantages for the mass production of electrocatalysts owing to the easy availability of the raw materials, a simple, environmentally friendly synthetic procedure, and mild reaction conditions, says Professor Lu Jian, Chair Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering and the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at CityU, who led the research.Electrochemical HER is a widely used hydrogen-generation method. Commercial HER electrocatalysts are made from expensive precious metals. A promising type of HER electrocatalyst intensively studied by scientists is single-atom catalysts for their potential in catalytic HER applications because of their high activity, maximised atomic efficiency, and minimised catalyst usage. However, the fabrication of single-atom catalysts is generally complicated, and requires a lot of energy and time.The findings were published in Nature Communications under the title Two-dimensional mineral hydrogel-derived single atoms-anchored
