Highly active interface of Carbon-Supported Single-Atom platinum on cobalt nanoclusters for hydrogen production from sodium borohydride hydrolysis

Hydrogen has been hailed as the quintessential energy resource for the future advancement of a carbon–neutral society. However, the storage and transportation of hydrogen present significant challenges due to its low density and high risk of explosion. The catalytic hydrolysis of sodium borohydride under mild conditions offers a viable solution to the aforementioned obstacles. Thus, the development and design of efficient, cost-effective and stable catalysts have attracted increasing attention to overcome the limitations and facilitate the practical application of this technology. In this study, an effective approach developed for fabricating a series of matrix catalysts that exhibit single-atom platinum (Pt) and cobalt (Co) nanocluster interface sites through a sequential immersion-reduction procedure. The findings revealed that the content of Pt and immersion sequence significantly influence catalyst performance. With its optimal structure, the 0.7 % Pt-4 % Co/C catalyst, prepared with a sequential immersion of Co followed by Pt, demonstrated a superior turnover frequency (TOF, based on the Pt content) of 1351 mol H2 mol Pt −1 min −1 at 298 K, which is 135 times higher than that of the Pt/C catalyst. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations and isotope labeling experiments underscore the significance of water activation in the hydrolysis reaction of NaBH 4 , which   is augmented through the incorporation of single-atom Pt and Co nanocluster. These findings provide novel perspectives on the design of catalysts for hydrogen evolution from NaBH 4 and open up new possibilities for their practical application in chemical hydrogen storage.