Atomic-level interface engineering enables efficient and durable acidic hydrogen evolution of osmium at large current densities

Abstract

Osmium (Os), the least expensive member of the platinum-group metals, has emerged as a promising alternative to Pt-based catalysts for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). However, Os-based electrocatalysts still suffer from poor stability under acidic conditions, despite recent efforts to mitigate H* over-adsorption for improved intrinsic activity. Here, we design a porous CeO₂ support that enables the atomic dispersion of Os, forming an Os single-atom catalyst (Os_SA–CeO₂). Unlike traditional flat-film supports, the porous CeO₂ architecture prevents Os aggregation and achieves 100% interfacial anchoring of Os atoms. The resulting strong electronic coupling enables tight anchoring of Os and activates the CeO₂ matrix with abundant oxygen vacancies, which facilitate H₂O dissociation to sustainably supply protons for rapid consumption at large current densities. Also, the generated OH* species are adsorbed by the oxygen vacancies, thus preventing the Os sites from oxidative dissolution. As a result, Os_SA–CeO₂ exhibits over 500 h of durability at 100 mA cm⁻² without performance decay—surpassing all previously reported Os-based HER catalysts. This work provides a general strategy for achieving complete interfacial anchoring of active metal atoms to enhance catalytic stability without sacrificing activity through support activation.