Stabilizing and accelerating the hydrogen evolution reaction of well-designed Pt nanoparticle with single atomic iron sites

To solve the stability of Pt nanoparticles in Pt-based electrocatalysts, herein we demonstrate an electrocatalyst (Pt/FeSA-NC) featuring with Pt nanoparticles deposited on Fe single-atom nitrogen-doped carbon, which was realized by the pyrolysis and subsequent wet chemical reduction approach. The as resultant Fe single-atom nitrogen-doped carbon exhibits delicate dodecahedral structure with uniformly distribution of Pt nanoparticles which provide suitable surrounding environment for Pt nanoparticles and enable the intense interaction between atomic Fe and Pt. Electrochemical results shows a superior activity with overpotentials reaching up to 19 mV and 189 mV, respectively at current densities of 10 and 100 mA cm-2, outperforming commercial Pt/C (27 mV and 229 mV) in alkaline conditions. DFT calculations revealed a nearly thermal neutral Delta GH* value of-0.360 eV of Pt/FeSA-NC, therefore, reducing the energy barrier and ensuring an accelerated reaction thermodynamics. This research offers a new approach to resolve the stability challenges of Pt-based electrocatalysts and advances the advancement of highly efficient electrocatalysts.