Stepwise construction of Ag nanocluster-based hydrogen evolution electrocatalysts.

Although several silver-based nanoclusters have been controllably prepared and structurally determined, their electrochemical catalytic performances have been relatively unexplored (or showed relatively weak ability towards electro-catalysis). In this work, we accomplished the step-by-step enhancement of the electrocatalytic hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) efficiency based on an Ag cluster template. A combination of atomically precise operations, including the kernel alloying, ligand engineering, and surface activation, was exploited to produce a highly efficient PtAg-BTT-Mn(10) nano-catalyst towards HER, derived from both experimental characterization and theoretical modelling. The precision characteristic of the Ag-based cluster system enables us to understanding the correlations between nanocluster structures and HER performances at the atomic level. Overall, the findings of this work will hopefully provide more opportunities for the customization of new cluster-based nano-catalysts with enhanced electrocatalytic capacities.