0D/1D confinement engineering and high-entropy coordination enable electrocatalytic industrial-grade hydrogen production

Developing electrocatalysts with ultrahigh activity and industrial-grade durability is critical for advancing green hydrogen production. This study develops a facile oil-phase method to synthesize PtPdRuNiMo HEA nanoparticles that are simultaneously nucleated, alloyed and immobilized on one-dimensional carbon nanotubes (CNTs). The unique 0D/1D architecture simultaneously prevents nanoparticle aggregation and maximizes active site exposure, while the CNT network enhances charge/mass transfer. The optimized catalyst delivers record-low overpotentials of 6.7 mV (10 mA cm −2 ) and 202.0 mV (800 mA cm −2 ) in alkaline media, with exceptional stability exceeding 500 h. Density functional theory calculations reveal that the multi-metallic synergy in PtPdRuNiMo optimally tunes the electronic structure, accelerating both water dissociation and hydrogen adsorption kinetics. This work establishes new standards for designing next-generation electrocatalysts that combine atomic-level precision with industrial-scale performance, representing a significant leap forward in sustainable hydrogen production technologies.