A cobalt metalized polymer modulates the electronic structure of Pt nanoparticles to accelerate water dissociation kinetics

Abstract

Herein, we construct a composite material of Pt-NPs@NPCNs–Co by anchoring Pt nanoparticles (Pt NPs) and Co-salen covalent organic polymer (Co-COP) onto N, P co-doped carbon nanotubes (NPCNs), thereby offering an integrated approach to enhance H₂O dissociation. The bimetallic catalyst Pt-NPs@NPCNs–Co demonstrates exceptional HER performance, and the overpotential at 40 mA cm⁻² is lower than that of 20% Pt/C. When the overpotential is 50 mV, the mass activity of Pt-NPs@NPCNs–Co is 2.8 times that of the commercial Pt/C catalyst. Experimental results reveal that the synergistic interplay between Pt NPs and Co contributes to the excellent electrocatalytic performance observed. Density function theory calculations found that Co effectively modulates the electronic structure of Pt NPs and lowers the activation energy of the Volmer step, thereby accelerating the water dissociation kinetics of Pt NPs. This research contributes to the advancement of knowledge regarding the development of more efficient bimetallic co-catalytic electrocatalysts in alkaline media.