Issue 5, 2024

Enhancing the durability of Pt nanoparticles for water electrolysis using ultrathin SiO2 layers

Abstract

Extending the lifetime of electrocatalytic materials is a major challenge in electrocatalysis. Here, we employ atomic layer deposition (ALD) to coat the surface of carbon black supported platinum nanoparticles (Pt/CB) with an ultra-thin layer of silicon dioxide (SiO2) to prevent deactivation of the catalyst during H2 evolution. Our results show that after an accelerated durability test (ADT) the current density at −0.2 V vs. reversible hydrogen electrode (RHE) of the unprotected Pt/CB catalyst was reduced by 34%. By contrast, after coating the Pt/CB catalyst with 2 SiO2 ALD cycles, the current density at the same potential was reduced by 7% after the ADT procedure, whereas when the Pt/CB sample was coated with 5 SiO2 ALD cycles, the current density was reduced by only 2% after the ADT. Characterization of the Pt particles after electrochemical testing shows that the average particle size of the uncoated Pt/CB catalyst increases by roughly 16% after the ADT, whereas it only increases by 3% for the Pt/CB catalyst coated with 5 cycles of SiO2 ALD. In addition, the coating also strongly reduces the detachment of Pt nanoparticles, as shown by a strong decrease in the Pt concentration in the electrolyte after the ADT. However, 20 cycles of SiO2 ALD coating results in an over-thick coating that has an inhibitory effect on the catalytic activity. In summary, we demonstrate that only a few cycles of SiO2 ALD can strongly improve the stability of Pt catalyst for the hydrogen evolution reaction.

Graphical abstract: Enhancing the durability of Pt nanoparticles for water electrolysis using ultrathin SiO2 layers

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
18 Jul 2023
Accepted
24 Jan 2024
First published
26 Jan 2024
This article is Open Access
Creative Commons BY license

Catal. Sci. Technol., 2024,14, 1328-1335

Enhancing the durability of Pt nanoparticles for water electrolysis using ultrathin SiO2 layers

M. Li, S. Saedy, S. Fu, T. Stellema, R. Kortlever and J. R. van Ommen, Catal. Sci. Technol., 2024, 14, 1328 DOI: 10.1039/D3CY00996C

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