Platinum/(Carbon-Nanotube) Electrocatalyst Boosts Hydrogen Evolution Reaction in Acidic, Neutral and Alkaline Solutions.

Widely used catalysts for electrocatalytic hydrogen (H) evolution reaction (HER) have high platinum (Pt) contents and show low efficiencies in neutral and alkaline solutions. Herein, a carbon nanotube (CNT) supported Pt catalyst (Pt/CNT45) with 1 wt.% Pt is fabricated. For HER, the mass activity of Pt/CNT45 in acidic (18.76 A mg ), neutral (3.92 A mg ), and alkaline (3.88 A mg ) solutions is respectively much higher than those on commercial Pt/C catalyst with 20 wt.% Pt (acidic: 0.31 A mg , neutral: 0.03 A mg , alkaline: 0.07 A mg ). Thus, Pt/CNT45 enhances HER not only in acidic solutions but also in neutral and alkaline solutions. Pt at Pt-CNT interface on Pt/CNT45 promotes water (HO) dissociation and hydroxyl (OH) desorption from Pt/CNT45, thus enhancing HER. This work opens a new way for enhancing HER in a wider pH range by catalyst with low Pt content, and helpful for commercialization.