Understanding the Role of Small Platinum Island Size on Crystalline Nickel Nanoparticles in Enhancing the Hydrogen Evolution Reaction

Abstract

The development of Pt on Ni nanoparticles is critical for the improvement of water splitting reactions. Here, the growth of small, below 2 nm Pt islands on crystalline branched Ni nanoparticles was investigated by tuning the size of the islands using a slow seeded-growth synthesis. Smaller island size results in a greater shift in the hydrogen binding energy on the Pt sites, as characterized by the hydrogen underpotential peak position in the voltammogram. This shift indicates the weakening of the binding to hydrogen, which leads to enhanced alkaline hydrogen evolution reaction activity with smaller Pt island size. Show more