Hydrogen spillover in Pt5Ru1 nanoalloy decorated Ni3S2 enabling pH-universal electrocatalytic hydrogen evolution

Abstract

As a new type of clean energy, hydrogen receives extensive attention due to its zero-pollution characteristics. Hydrogen produced by electrocatalysis is extensively studied due to its convenient properties. However, most catalysts for catalyzing the hydrogen evolution reaction are noble metals, which hinders their commercialization. Herein, we design a very effective electrocatalyst of Ni₃S₂ decorated with a small amount of Pt₅Ru₁ nanoalloy supported on Ni foam (Ni₃S₂/Pt₅Ru₁@NF) to enhance its hydrogen evolution reaction kinetics by exploiting the hydrogen spillover effect between Pt₅Ru₁ and Ni₃S₂. The designed Ni₃S₂/Pt₅Ru₁@NF exhibits excellent HER performance under both acidic and alkaline conditions, achieving a current density of 10 mA cm⁻² at only 13 mV and 42 mV, respectively.