Sustainable and cost-efficient hydrogen production using platinum clusters at minimal loading

Hongliang Zeng, Zheng Chen, Qiu Jiang (), Qingtian Zhong, Yuan Ji, Yizhen Chen, Jiawei Li, Chunxiao Liu, Runhao Zhang, Jialin Tang, Xiaoxia Xiong, Zhongyue Zhang, Zhaoyang Chen, Yizhou Dai, Chengbo Li, Yinfang Chen, Donghao Zhao, Xu Li, Tingting Zheng, Xin Xu () and Chuan Xia ()
Additional contact information
Hongliang Zeng: University of Electronic Science and Technology of China
Zheng Chen: Fudan University
Qiu Jiang: University of Electronic Science and Technology of China
Qingtian Zhong: University of Electronic Science and Technology of China
Yuan Ji: University of Electronic Science and Technology of China
Yizhen Chen: University of California
Jiawei Li: University of Electronic Science and Technology of China
Chunxiao Liu: University of Electronic Science and Technology of China
Runhao Zhang: University of Electronic Science and Technology of China
Jialin Tang: University of Electronic Science and Technology of China
Xiaoxia Xiong: University of Electronic Science and Technology of China
Zhongyue Zhang: University of Electronic Science and Technology of China
Zhaoyang Chen: University of Electronic Science and Technology of China
Yizhou Dai: University of Electronic Science and Technology of China
Chengbo Li: University of Electronic Science and Technology of China
Yinfang Chen: University of Electronic Science and Technology of China
Donghao Zhao: University of Electronic Science and Technology of China
Xu Li: University of Electronic Science and Technology of China
Tingting Zheng: University of Electronic Science and Technology of China
Xin Xu: Fudan University
Chuan Xia: University of Electronic Science and Technology of China

Nature Communications, 2025, vol. 16, issue 1, 1-12

Abstract: Abstract Proton exchange membrane water electrolysis stands as a promising technology for sustainable hydrogen production, although its viability hinges on minimizing platinum (Pt) usage without sacrificing catalytic efficiency. Central to this challenge is enhancing the intrinsic activity of Pt while ensuring the stability of the catalyst. We herein present a Mo2TiC2 MXene-supported Pt nanocluster catalyst (Mo2TiC2-PtNC) that requires a minimal Pt content (36 μg cm−2) to function, yet remains highly active and stable. Operando spectroscopy and theoretical simulation provide evidence for anomalous charge transfer from the MXene substrate to PtNC, thus generating highly efficient electron-rich Pt sites for robust hydrogen evolution. When incorporated into a proton exchange membrane electrolyzer, the catalyst affords more than 8700 h at 200 mA cm−2 under ambient temperature with a decay rate of just 2.2 μV h−1. All the performance metrics of the present Mo2TiC2-PtNC catalysts are on par with or even surpass those of current hydrogen evolution electrocatalysts under identical operation conditions, thereby challenging the monopoly of high-loading Pt/C-20% in the current electrolyzer design.

Date: 2025
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-025-59450-6

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