The role of the Pd ratio in increasing the activity of Pt for high efficient hydrogen evolution reaction

Abstract

• Mono and bimetallic catalysts were prepared with one-step procedure. • The ratio of metals that make up the bimetallic catalyst plays a critical role in the electroactivity. • Pt 2 Pd 1 /C catalyst showed superior performance among all catalysts. • Pt 2 Pd 1 /C has excellent long-term stability in an acidic environment. The use of Pt nanoparticles as electrocatalysts is common in the hydrogen evolution reaction, which stands out as a promising strategy for the production of hydrogen. However, improving the electroactivity and durability of Pt-containing catalysts is an important step for the commercialization of these catalysts. In this study, in order to increase the HER activity of the Pt catalyst, which is widely used for HER, carbon supported PtPd catalysts in different atomic ratios, were prepared by adding Pd as a second metal nearby Pt, on HER performance effect was investigated. These ratios determined as (1:1), (1:2), and (2:1). The prepared catalysts were characterized by XRD, TEM, ICP-MS, EDS, XPS and information about their structural and morphological aspects was obtained. In addition, the electrochemical properties of the catalysts were determined by CV analysis in an acidic medium, and the HER activities of the catalysts were compared using linear sweep voltammetry and chronoamperometry (CA) measurements. As a result of electrochemical measurements, it was found that Pt 2 Pd 1 /C catalyst had the best HER activity. For this reason, we emphasize the necessity of investigating the effect of the composition and structure of the electrocatalysts on the HER activity.