PtSe2 on a reduced graphene oxide foil for the alkaline hydrogen evolution reaction

Abstract

Reducing energy consumption during the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) in electrocatalytic water splitting for hydrogen production is still a challenge. Among the transition metal dichalcogenide family, platinum diselenide (PtSe₂) exhibits good air stability, a low band-gap, and semimetallic properties, rendering it a promising catalyst for the HER. Herein, the selenization of predeposited Pt on a reduced graphene oxide (rGO) substrate forming an 88 ± 6 nm PtSe₂ thin layer results in a freestanding, efficient HER electrocatalyst yielding a competitive performance in an alkaline medium, achieving a low overpotential of 95 mV at −10 mA cm⁻². Furthermore, the PtSe₂/rGO foil used in a two-electrode cell configuration demonstrates good long-term stability, up to 18 hours. The performance of the PtSe₂/rGO foil results from the distribution of PtSe₂ over the rGO substrate, which is maintained after the electrochemical reactions as attested by Raman mapping, and complemented by scanning electron microscopy, inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy characterization.