N-doped porous graphite with multilevel pore defects and ultra-high conductivity anchoring Pt nanoparticles for proton exchange membrane water electrolyzers

Abstract

Water electrolysis for hydrogen production offers a promising solution to future energy crises and environmental challenges. Although platinum is an efficient catalyst for hydrogen evolution reactions (HERs), its high cost and stability challenges limit its widespread use. A novel platinum-based catalyst, comprising platinum nanoparticles on nitrogen-doped porous graphite (Pt-N-porous graphite), addresses these limitations. This catalyst prevents nanoparticle aggregation, provides a high specific surface area of 1308 m² g⁻¹, and enhances mass transfer and active site exposure. Additionally, it exhibits superior electrical conductivity compared to commercial Pt-C, enhancing charge transfer efficiency. The Pt-N-porous graphite catalyst achieves an overpotential of 99 mV at 100 mA cm⁻² and maintains stable performance after 10,000 cycles. Applied as a catalyst-coated membrane (CCM) in a proton exchange membrane (PEM) electrolyzer, it demonstrates excellent performance. Thus, the industrially synthesizable Pt-N-porous graphite catalyst holds great potential for large-scale energy applications.