High Mixing Entropy Enhanced Hydrogen Evolution Reaction in AlMnYNiCoAu Catalysts

Abstract: An effective method for increasing the electrocatalytic activity of metallic glasses (MGs) in hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) is reported. This method applies a noble metal hybridization strategy to design a highly reactive catalyst for alkaline HER based on MGs with a nano-porous structure. The porous structure provides an abundance of active sites and exposes a large specific surface area to the electrolyte, thus effectively improving the activity of the HER catalysts. The doping of Au element can create electronic defects, adjust the electronic structure, change the electronic interaction, introduce lattice distortion, regulate mixing entropy, and improve the electrocatalytic performance of the catalyst. All these properties make np-AlMnYNiCoAu catalyst a potential electrode for alkaline HER. Significantly, we find that the high mixing entropy can enhance the HER performances. The present work could lead to a new approach to further develop environmentally friendly amorphous electrocatalyst with high efficiency and excellent stability for HER in alkaline solution.