Coupling renewable energy to produce hydrogen by the electrolysis of water is an effective way to develop new energy utilization and solve the energy crisis. It is important to fully understand the cathodic hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) mechanism.
Coupling renewable energy to produce hydrogen by the electrolysis of water is an effective way to develop new energy utilization and solve the energy crisis. It is important to fully understand the cathodic hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) mechanism.
Compared with the fast kinetics under acidic conditions, the kinetics under alkaline conditions are two orders of magnitude slower, indicating that the reaction mechanism becomes more complicated than that under acidic conditions. Therefore, an in-depth understanding based on the descriptor of the HER mechanism under alkaline conditions is of practical significance for improving the HER activity.
Researchers at Chongqing University stated that « water molecules act as solvents in catalyzing HER in acid, while water molecules play dual roles in catalyzing alkaline HER, that is, reactant and solvent. » Based on their research and knowledge in the field of HER, the researchers focused on the contribution of water molecules to HER, summarized the development of the activity descriptor of HER in the past decade, and provided their understanding of how the water molecules affect the kinetics and dynamics of HER.
