Interface Engineering-Inspired Electron Regulation in Pt/Pd Hetero-Metallene for Methanol-Assisted Hydrogen Evolution

The small molecule oxidation reaction instead of oxygen evolution reaction coupled with hydrogen evolution reaction can greatly reduce the reaction overpotential of electrochemical water splitting, which is a very efficient and energy-saving hydrogen evolution strategy. Herein, we report an interface engineering constructed two-dimensional ultrathin curled Pt/Pd hetero-metallene for efficient electrocatalytic hydrogen evolution assisted by methanol. The thin-sheet structure of Pt/Pd hetero-metallene provides a large specific surface area and exposes numerous surface atoms that could act as reactive sites, thus accelerating the reaction mass transfer process. More importantly, the constructed Pt/Pd hetero-metallene possesses abundant Pt/Pd heterointerface, which can maximize the strong metal-metal interaction and increase the utilization of metal atoms, thereby optimizing the adsorption and activation of reactants during the reaction. Pt/Pd hetero-metallene can produce hydrogen stably and efficiently in 1 M KOH + 1 M CH3OH, and the voltage only needs 0.83 V at @100 mA cm-2 when used in electrocatalytic hydrogen evolution, which is much lower than the voltage required for the traditional electrochemical water splitting process (1.94 V). This work not only provides a powerful approach to rational design and construction of hetero-metallene through interface engineering, but also builds a bridge between hetero-metallene and methanol-assisted hydrogen evolution.