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Edge dislocation-induced strains break the limit of PtNi alloys in boosting Pt mass activity for efficient alkaline hydrogen evolution

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Abstract

Creating lattice defects and alloying to produce strain effect in Pt-based bimetallic alloys are both effective methods to optimize the crystal and electronic structure and improve the electrocatalytic performance. Unfortunately, the principles that govern the alkaline hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) performance remain unclear, which is detrimental to the rational design of efficient Pt-based electrocatalysts. Herein, PtNi alloys with different Pt/Ni ratios and edge dislocations were synthesized, and the effects of Pt/Ni composition and edge dislocations on the alkaline HER electrocatalytic activity of PtNi alloys were systematically studied. Combined experimental and theoretical investigations reveal that tuning Pt/Ni ratio results in only 1.1 times enhancements in Pt mass activity, whereas edge dislocations-induced extra tensile strain on Ni site and compressive strain on Pt site further boost the alkaline HER intrinsic activity at all Pt/Ni ratios. Impressively, the introduction of edge dislocations in PtNi alloys could break the limit of alloying in boosting Pt mass activity and result in up to 13.7-fold enhancement, in the case that Pt and Ni contents are nearly identical and thus edge dislocation density reaches the maximum. Fundamental mechanism studies demonstrate that the edge dislocation strategy could make a breakthrough in facilitating water dissociation kinetics of PtNi alloys.

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Acknowledgements

This work was financially supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 51822106).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. New Energy Materials Institute, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072, China

    Miao Zhou, Liyang Xiao, Pengfei Yin, Cunku Dong, Hui Liu, Xiwen Du & Jing Yang

  2. School of Aerospace Engineering, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing, 100081, China

    Yao Zhao & Zhanwei Liu

  3. Chemistry Division, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, New York, 11973, USA

    Xueru Zhao

  4. Advanced Metallic Materials Institute, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072, China

    Enzuo Liu

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  1. Miao Zhou
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Correspondence to Zhanwei Liu, Xueru Zhao, Enzuo Liu or Jing Yang.

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Edge dislocation-induced strains break the limit of PtNi alloys in boosting Pt mass activity for efficient alkaline hydrogen evolution

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Zhou, M., Zhao, Y., Liu, Z. et al. Edge dislocation-induced strains break the limit of PtNi alloys in boosting Pt mass activity for efficient alkaline hydrogen evolution. Nano Res. 17, 4711–4719 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12274-023-6359-6

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