Citation:
Hao Wu, Fengqi Li, Xinwei Shi, Haifeng Bian, Qing Zhou, Shunshun Jia, Yujie Ma, Jian Gu, Jingzi Zhang, Shuijian He, Xiangkang Meng. Machine-learning guides discovery of multi-principal element alloys as electrocatalyst for hydrogen evolution reaction[J]. Acta Physico-Chimica Sinica,
;2026, 42(8): 100227.
doi:
10.1016/j.actphy.2025.100227
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Owing to synergistic interactions among their components, multi-principal element alloys manifest remarkable physicochemical properties that render them highly promising candidates for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) electrocatalysts. Despite extensive experimental investigations, the intricate composition of multi-principal components and the absence of systematic machine learning (ML) screening poses significant challenges in identifying optimal elemental configurations for electrocatalysts, thereby constraining the rational design and development of multi-principal alloy electrocatalysts. In this work, the NbZnCo2multi-principal component alloy emerges as the optimal candidate from a pool of 601 candidate alloys using the Light Gradient Boosting model, demonstrating approximately 34-fold cost efficiency enhancement over Pt/C while surpassing HER activity. Combined density functional theory (DFT) calculations and experimental validation confirmed the ML model’s reliability, with the micrometer NbZnCo2 catalyst achieving an ultralow overpotential of 20 mV at 10 mA cm-2 and remarkable stability over a period of 60 h. Furthermore, the NbZnCo2 nanoparticle retained exceptional HER properties, validating the universality of NbZnCo2 element composition. Our work establishes a synergistic “ML-DFT-Experiment” framework for the precise design of high-performance HER electrocatalysis. This methodology exhibits extensibility to diverse other electrocatalytic processes, thereby broadening the applicability in sustainable energy conversion technologies.
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