Surface morphology controls charge storage at the electrified Pt–water interface

Abstract

Platinum step edges dominate electrocatalytic activity in fuel cells and electrolyzers, yet their atomistic electrochemical behavior remains poorly understood. Here, we employ ab initio molecular dynamics under controlled electrode potentials to model a realistic stepped Pt–water interface incorporating experimentally observed (111) × (111) and (111) × (100) edge motifs. This allows us to resolve, for the first time, the site-specific structure, charge distribution, and electrostatics of the electric double layer at a nanostructured Pt surface. We find that differential capacitance near the potential of zero charge (PZC) arises almost entirely from potential-dependent chemisorption of water on flat (111) terraces. In contrast, step edges are saturated with chemisorbed water even below the PZC and, thus, do not contribute to the capacitance. Instead, edges accumulate excess positive charge and exhibit a locally elevated electrostatic potential, as revealed by spatially resolved macroscopic potential profiles. This electrostatic asymmetry implies a greater barrier for electron accumulation at step sites compared to terraces, consistent with enhanced charge localization and reactivity. Finally, the higher energy d-band center and sharper projected density of states at edge atoms further support their role as active, positively charged centers. Together, these results provide a mechanistic explanation for the observed experimental shift of the PZC with step density and establish a predictive framework for understanding and optimizing interfacial charging in nanostructured Pt electrocatalysts.