An asymmetrically coordinated Zn–Co diatomic site catalyst for efficient hydrogen evolution reactions

Abstract

We propose an innovative preparation method, namely, a two-step pyrolysis process, to synthesize Zn–Co bimetallic catalysts with excellent hydrogen evolution performance. In the synthesized Zn₁Co₁–SNC catalyst, there exists a strong interaction between Zn and Co, along with synergistic effects with S/N atoms, collectively promoting the stability of the catalyst structure. Experimental results demonstrate that the overpotential of this catalyst at 10 mA cm⁻² current density is only 49 mV, and it maintains excellent hydrogen evolution performance even after 5000 cycles.