The
rational design and in-depth understanding of the structure–activity
relationship (SAR) of hydrogen and oxygen evolution reaction (HER
and OER) bifunctional electrocatalysts are vital to decreasing the
energy consumption of hydrogen production by electrochemical water
splitting. Herein, we report an inducing electron delocalization method
where Fe single atoms as inducers are used to regulate the electron
structure of Au nanoclusters by the M–N
x
–C substrate to acquire satisfactory intrinsic HER
activity. Meanwhile, Fe single atoms also serve as efficient OER active
sites to construct bifunctional electrocatalysts. On account of the
strong synergistic effect between Au nanoclusters and Fe single atoms,
the hybrid catalyst Au-Fe1NC/NF performs an outstanding
alkaline HER and OER activity. Only 35.6 mV, 246 mV, and 1.52 V are
needed to reach 10 mA cm–2 for alkaline HER, OER,
and two-electrode electrolytic cells, respectively. In addition, the
bifunctional electrocatalysts also display excellent electrochemical
stability. DFT calculations demonstrate that the strong synergistic
effect can enhance the O–H bond activation ability of Au nanoclusters
and upshift the d-band center of the Fe single atom to promote alkaline
electrocatalytic water splitting. The strong synergistic effect is
proven to arise from the electron delocalization of Au nanoclusters
triggered by Fe single atoms.
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