Achieving Highly Efficient Catalysts for Hydrogen Evolution Reaction by Electronic State Modification of Platinum on Versatile Ti₃C₂T_<i>x</i> (MXene)

Abstract

Platinum-based (Pt-based) catalysts are considered as the most effective electrocatalysts for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). Because of the high cost, it is essential to improve the mass activity and durability of platinum by studying the relationship between Pt and the supports. Herein, a series of modified Ti3C2Tx-based (T = O, OH, F; MXene) supports are synthesized, and Pt was loaded by the wet-impregnation and photoinduced reduction method. This is the first report that Pt-based MXenes have been used to promote HER efficiency with promising performance. The obtained catalyst achieves an overpotential of 55 mV at a current density of 10 mA cm–2. The overpotential mainly relies on the electronic state of Pt, which in turn is influenced by the surface terminals (Ti–OH or Ti–O) of the modified Ti3C2Tx. The enhanced charge transfer between O terminals and Pt accelerates the HER kinetics and, hence, the overall catalytic performance.