Résumé
New directions are urgently needed in energy technologies, and in particular in hydrogen technologies, to raise efficiency and stability of the systems while lowering their cost. Bio-inspiration has a great potential to making breakthroughs in research and development. In particular hydrogenase enzymes compete with platinum as catalysts for H2/H+ interconversion and such an activity can be reproduced in synthetic mimics [1, 2] but such molecular systems are often challenged by solid state catalysts, both in terms of activity and stability.
We will show how the immobilization of biomimics onto surfaces allows the preparation of highly active electrode materials compatible with existing PEM electrolysis technology [3-6]. Besides, we will also revisit the structure of reactivity of amorphous molybdenum sulfide, which actually stands as a coordination polymer, therefore bridging the molecular and solid-state sides of H2/H+ catalysis [7]