Superaerophobic TiN Nanowires Boost Bubble Removal and Performance of Pt Catalysts for Highly Efficient Hydrogen Evolution.

Zhao, Jia; Chen, Rong; Liao, Nan; Luo, Jingshan · Nano Lett · 2026

basic_science · Level V

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Abstract

Electrocatalytic water splitting for green hydrogen production is often limited by bubble accumulation and sluggish interfacial processes, particularly under high current densities. To overcome these challenges, we design a conductive titanium nitride (TiN) nanowire array-supported platinum catalyst (TiN-Pt) for highly efficient hydrogen evolution reaction. The key innovation lies in the construction of vertically aligned TiN nanowires with engineered wettability, which optimizes the solid-liquid-gas three-phase interface, enhances electron transfer, and facilitates directional bubble transport. The TiN-Pt catalyst exhibits outstanding stability (>1,000 h) at 1 A cm<sup>-2</sup> in both acidic and alkaline media. The assembled proton exchange membrane (PEM) electrolyzer with TiN-Pt as the cathode delivers a current density of 1 A cm<sup>-2</sup> at 2.2 V with good durability. <i>In situ</i> imaging and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy confirm that the catalyst enables rapid bubble detachment, suppresses bubble-induced dead zones, and significantly improves the overall electrolysis efficiency.