A collaborative effort between teams led by Deng Dehui and Yu Liang from the Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Professor Lu Junling's group from the University of Science and Technology of China, and researcher Yu Hongmei's team from the Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, has unveiled a groundbreaking discovery. The research team observed that the asymmetric π electrons on the surface of the armor catalyst exhibit a unique confinement effect, which remarkably enhances both the activity and stability of the surface-confined platinum atoms. Leveraging this finding, they innovatively designed and synthesized a catalyst that is both highly active and stable for hydrogen production via water electrolysis.

Their groundbreaking work culminated in the successful assembly of a kilowatt-scale proton exchange membrane electrolyzer. This electrolyzer achieves efficient hydrogen production through acidic water electrolysis, remarkably doing so with ultra-low platinum loading and maintaining a high industrial current density. This advancement represents a significant step forward in the field of hydrogen production technology.