Tuning the electronic environment of trace Pt through Quasi-solid microwave for boosted hydrogen evolution

The modulation of metal-support interactions (MSI) has emerged as promising strategy for tailoring the electronic structure and catalytic efficiency of supported catalysts. In this study, we employ an innovative ultrafast microwave synthesis technique to load platinum (Pt) and nickel (Ni) onto molybdenum boride (MoB) substrate (Pt-Ni/MoB). The introduced Ni facilitates rapid water dissociation, thereby optimizing the kinetics of the Volmer step and contributing to significantly improved hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) performance. The achieved Pt-Ni/MoB demonstrates exceptional electrocatalytic hydrogen evolution performance across wide pH electrolytes, including alkaline, acidic, and alkaline seawater media, with overpotentials of 37 mV, 13 mV, and 51 mV for 10 mA cm⁻², respectively. Correspondingly, the Tafel slopes are determined to be 43 mV dec⁻¹, 25 mV dec⁻¹, and 57 mV dec⁻¹. Specially, in alkaline environment, the mass activity (MA) of the Pt-Ni/MoB surpasses that of Pt/MoB by a factor exceeding five. Moreover, the synthesized Pt-Ni/MoB exhibits substantial promise for practical applications in electrocatalytic water-splitting processes, underscoring its potential significance in the realm of sustainable energy technologies. This work offers a strategic route for the precise design of non-carbon electrocatalysts with exceptional HER activity and long-term durability.