Scientists cut platinum use in hydrogen production with new catalyst

Chinese researchers from Beijing University of Technology and the Chinese Academy of Sciences have developed a novel platinum-cobalt (PtCo) alloy catalyst supported on MXene, a conductive layered material, to improve hydrogen production efficiency while significantly reducing platinum usage. Platinum is the most effective catalyst for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) in water splitting but is costly and rare, limiting large-scale clean hydrogen production. By dispersing PtCo alloy particles uniformly on MXene nanosheets, the team leveraged MXene’s large surface area and excellent electrical conductivity to enhance charge transfer, lower reaction activation energy, and expose more active catalytic sites. Testing in acidic conditions demonstrated that the PtCo/MXene catalyst achieved low overpotentials (60 mV at −10 mA/cm² and 152 mV at −100 mA/cm²) and maintained stable performance, indicating strong practical potential. Computer simulations showed that cobalt incorporation modified platinum’s electronic structure, boosting catalytic activity and facilitating faster electron transfer and hydrogen release. This breakthrough offers