From Deposition Stress to Surface Reactivity: Strain-Dependent Hydrogen Evolution on Sputtered Platinum Thin Films

Fuente: arXiv
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Autori principali: Baha, Sabrina, Mendoza, Alejandro E. Perez, Morais, Leonardo H., Kostka, Aleksander, Shukla, Shivam, Suhr, Ellen, Oliveira, Andre, Gatzki, Annika, Kristoffersen, Henrik H., Rossmeisl, Jan, Andronescu, Corina, Ludwig, Alfred
Natura: Preprint
Pubblicazione: 2026
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author Baha, Sabrina
Mendoza, Alejandro E. Perez
Morais, Leonardo H.
Kostka, Aleksander
Shukla, Shivam
Suhr, Ellen
Oliveira, Andre
Gatzki, Annika
Kristoffersen, Henrik H.
Rossmeisl, Jan
Andronescu, Corina
Ludwig, Alfred
author_facet Baha, Sabrina
Mendoza, Alejandro E. Perez
Morais, Leonardo H.
Kostka, Aleksander
Shukla, Shivam
Suhr, Ellen
Oliveira, Andre
Gatzki, Annika
Kristoffersen, Henrik H.
Rossmeisl, Jan
Andronescu, Corina
Ludwig, Alfred
contents Strain has emerged as a promising approach for tuning electrocatalytic properties, yet its role in sputter-deposited thin films remains poorly understood. In this work, magnetron-sputtered platinum (Pt) thin films with different stress states were prepared by varying the sputter pressure. The resulting changes in microstructure, residual strain, and hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) activity were investigated using complementary characterization techniques and density functional theory (DFT) calculations. Structural analysis reveals a transition of (111)-textured Pt thin films from dense and smooth films at low pressures, to more porous microstructures with increased roughness at higher pressures. Electrochemical measurements show that films deposited at low sputter pressure exhibit the highest HER activity, while higher sputter pressures lead to reduced activity despite increased surface area. DFT calculations demonstrate that lattice strain alters hydrogen adsorption energetics and surface coverage on Pt(111), providing a mechanistic explanation for the observed activity trends. Overall, the results highlight that HER activity in sputtered Pt thin films is governed by the interplay of residual strain, microstructure, and hydrogen coverage.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2605_06348
institution arXiv
publishDate 2026
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle From Deposition Stress to Surface Reactivity: Strain-Dependent Hydrogen Evolution on Sputtered Platinum Thin Films
Baha, Sabrina
Mendoza, Alejandro E. Perez
Morais, Leonardo H.
Kostka, Aleksander
Shukla, Shivam
Suhr, Ellen
Oliveira, Andre
Gatzki, Annika
Kristoffersen, Henrik H.
Rossmeisl, Jan
Andronescu, Corina
Ludwig, Alfred
Materials Science
Strain has emerged as a promising approach for tuning electrocatalytic properties, yet its role in sputter-deposited thin films remains poorly understood. In this work, magnetron-sputtered platinum (Pt) thin films with different stress states were prepared by varying the sputter pressure. The resulting changes in microstructure, residual strain, and hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) activity were investigated using complementary characterization techniques and density functional theory (DFT) calculations. Structural analysis reveals a transition of (111)-textured Pt thin films from dense and smooth films at low pressures, to more porous microstructures with increased roughness at higher pressures. Electrochemical measurements show that films deposited at low sputter pressure exhibit the highest HER activity, while higher sputter pressures lead to reduced activity despite increased surface area. DFT calculations demonstrate that lattice strain alters hydrogen adsorption energetics and surface coverage on Pt(111), providing a mechanistic explanation for the observed activity trends. Overall, the results highlight that HER activity in sputtered Pt thin films is governed by the interplay of residual strain, microstructure, and hydrogen coverage.
title From Deposition Stress to Surface Reactivity: Strain-Dependent Hydrogen Evolution on Sputtered Platinum Thin Films
topic Materials Science
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2605.06348