Issue 6, 2015

Synergy between molybdenum nitride and gold leading to platinum-like activity for hydrogen evolution

Abstract

Reduced size and direct electrochemical H2 compression are two distinct advantages of electrolyzers based on the acid–polymer electrolyte membrane technology over those relying on alkaline electrolytes. However, recourse to catalysts based on the scarce platinum-group-metals has hitherto been the price to pay. While the transition metal sulfides and nitrides of group VI have recently shown interesting activities for H2 evolution, the remaining activity gap with Pt needs to be reduced. Platinum owes its high activity to its optimum metal–hydrogen bond strength for H2 evolution, which is a proven descriptor of the activity on single-component catalysts. Here, we unravel a major synergetic effect between gold and molybdenum nitride which multiplies the hydrogen evolution activity ca. 100 times over that of either gold or molybdenum nitride. This two-phase catalytic material, featuring both strong and weak metal–hydrogen bonds, overcomes the limitations described by Sabatier's principle for single-component catalysts.

Graphical abstract: Synergy between molybdenum nitride and gold leading to platinum-like activity for hydrogen evolution

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
26 Sep 2014
Accepted
10 Nov 2014
First published
11 Nov 2014

Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys., 2015,17, 4047-4053

Author version available

Synergy between molybdenum nitride and gold leading to platinum-like activity for hydrogen evolution

A. Morozan, V. Goellner, A. Zitolo, E. Fonda, B. Donnadieu, D. Jones and F. Jaouen, Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys., 2015, 17, 4047 DOI: 10.1039/C4CP04358H

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