Phase and Interface Engineering of Platinum-Nickel Nanowires for Efficient Electrochemical Hydrogen Evolution.

The design of high-performance electrocatalysts for the alkaline hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) is highly desirable for the development of alkaline water electrolysis. Phase- and interface-engineered platinum-nickel nanowires (Pt-Ni NWs) are highly efficient electrocatalysts for alkaline HER. The phase and interface engineering is achieved by simply annealing the pristine Pt-Ni NWs under a controlled atmosphere. Impressively, the newly generated nanomaterials exhibit superior activity for the alkaline HER, outperforming the pristine Pt-Ni NWs and commercial Pt/C, and also represent the best alkaline HER catalysts to date. The enhanced HER activities are attributed to the superior phase and interface structures in the engineered Pt-Ni NWs.