Premium
Unveiling the Layer‐Dependent Catalytic Activity of PtSe 2 Atomic Crystals for the Hydrogen Evolution Reaction
Author(s) -
Hu Dake,
Zhao Tianqi,
Ping Xiaofan,
Zheng Husong,
Xing Lei,
Liu Xiaozhi,
Zheng Jingying,
Sun Lifei,
Gu Lin,
Tao Chenggang,
Wang Dong,
Jiao Liying
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
angewandte chemie
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1521-3757
pISSN - 0044-8249
DOI - 10.1002/ange.201901612
Subject(s) - catalysis , electrochemistry , layer (electronics) , materials science , active layer , electron transfer , nanotechnology , chemical engineering , chemical physics , chemistry , organic chemistry , electrode , engineering , thin film transistor
Two‐dimensional (2D) PtSe 2 shows the most prominent layer‐dependent electrical properties among various 2D materials and high catalytic activity for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), and therefore, it is an ideal material for exploring the structure–activity correlations in 2D systems. Here, starting with the synthesis of single‐crystalline 2D PtSe 2 with a controlled number of layers and probing the HER catalytic activity of individual flakes in micro electrochemical cells, we investigated the layer‐dependent HER catalytic activity of 2D PtSe 2 from both theoretical and experimental perspectives. We clearly demonstrated how the number of layers affects the number of active sites, the electronic structures, and electrical properties of 2D PtSe 2 flakes and thus alters their catalytic performance for HER. Our results also highlight the importance of efficient electron transfer in achieving optimum activity for ultrathin electrocatalysts. Our studies greatly enrich our understanding of the structure–activity correlations for 2D catalysts and provide new insight for the design and synthesis of ultrathin catalysts with high activity.