A Pd@ZIF-62/TiC membrane electrode for efficient electrochemical hydrogen evolution

Developing a highly active and stable electrode with a controllable size is greatly demanded to satisfy the large-scale application of electrochemical hydrogen production via water splitting. To overcome this challenge, a novel binder-free membrane electrode comprising Pd anchored on ZIF-62 glass supported on a porous TiC substrate has been developed to catalyze the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) in both acidic and alkaline conditions. The optimal Pd@ZIF-62/TiC membrane electrode only requires a stable overpotential of ∼90 mV to reach a current density of 30 mA cm −2 within 20 h of operation. The outstanding HER performance of such electrode can be ascribed to its unique porous membrane structure, which accelerates the mass transfer kinetics of electrolyte ions and in situ generated hydrogen bubbles. As the Pd decorated molten ZIF-62 glass penetrated heavily into the TiC support pores, a very strong adhesion between Pd@ZIF-62 electrocatalytic layer and TiC substrate could be formed, which lowers the interfacial resistance between the catalyst and its substrate as well as promotes the charge transfer kinetics of HER electrode.