Plasma-Treated Metal Nitride Electrocatalyst for Hydrogen Evolution

The patent replaces expensive noble metals with cheap non-noble metal substrates (iron, cobalt, nickel, manganese, or their alloys) that can be treated to form active nitride layers. The substrate serves as both structural support and catalytic material, eliminating the need for costly precious metals while maintaining catalytic functionality through surface nitridation treatment.

The patent transforms the surface properties of non-noble metal substrates through plasma treatment parameters (power, gas flow rate, treatment time, temperature) to create highly active metal nitride surfaces. By controlling treatment conditions, the substrate surface is converted from inactive or low-activity state to high catalytic activity state, achieving performance comparable to noble metals without the cost.

The patent employs periodic plasma treatment cycles with optimized duration (typically minutes to short hours) to achieve sufficient nitride layer formation. The treatment can be performed in batches or continuously with controlled exposure times, allowing industrial scaling while maintaining catalytic quality. The periodic nature of plasma discharge enables precise control over treatment duration and intensity.

The patent optimizes plasma treatment parameters including power density, gas composition (nitrogen, ammonia, or nitrogen-containing compounds), pressure, and substrate temperature to achieve effective nitride formation within short timeframes. By adjusting these parameters, the treatment time is minimized while ensuring sufficient catalytic activity is developed on the substrate surface.