Additively Manufactured Micro-/Multi-Scale Porous Copper: Enhanced Mass Transport for High-Performance Hydrogen Evolution

The hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) is pivotal for green hydrogen production, yet its kinetics are often limited by mass transport constraints. To address this, we fabricated a hierarchically porous copper substrate via additive manufacturing and electrodeposited a nickel layer to create the [email protected] electrode. This electrode exhibits outstanding HER performance, requiring an overpotential of only 123 mV to achieve 10 mA cm –2 and demonstrating excellent stability over 50 h. Characterization reveals superaerophobicity (gas contact angle ≈ 180°) and superhydrophilicity (liquid contact angle ≈ 0°), which synergistically facilitate rapid bubble release and efficient electrolyte replenishment. The multiporous architecture is identified as the key factor enabling superior mass transport and performance. This work provides a novel design paradigm for high-performance electrodes in gas-evolving electrocatalysis.