Accelerating the Hydrogen Evolution Kinetics with a Pulsed Laser-Synthesized Platinum Nanocluster-Decorated Nitrogen-Doped Carbon Electrocatalyst for Alkaline Seawater Electrolysis

Abstract

Efficient and durable electrocatalysts for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) in alkaline seawater environments are essential for sustainable hydrogen production. Zeolitic imidazolate framework-8 (ZIF-8) is synthesized through pulsed laser ablation in liquid, followed by pyrolysis, producing N-doped porous carbon (NC). NC matrix serves as a self-template, enabling Pt nanocluster decoration (NC-Pt) via pulsed laser irradiation in liquid. NC-Pt exhibits a large surface area, porous structure, high conductivity, N-rich carbon, abundant active sites, low Pt content, and a strong NC-Pt interaction. These properties enhance efficient mass transport during the HER. Remarkably, the optimized NC-Pt-4 catalyst achieves low HER overpotentials of 52, 57, and 53 mV to attain 10 mA cm(-2) in alkaline, alkaline seawater, and simulated seawater, surpassing commercial Pt/C catalysts. In a two-electrode system with NC-Pt-4(-)IIIrO2(+) as cathode and anode, it demonstrates excellent direct seawater electrolysis performance, with a low cell voltage of 1.63 mV to attain 10 mA cm(-2) and remarkable stability. This study presents a rapid and efficient method for fabricating cost-effective and highly effective electrocatalysts for hydrogen production in alkaline and alkaline seawater environments.