Journal
APPLIED CATALYSIS B-ENVIRONMENTAL
Volume 253, Issue -, Pages 235-245Publisher
ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV
DOI: 10.1016/j.apcatb.2019.04.017
Keywords
Nickel-cobalt phosphides; Nanoneedle arrays; Micro-carbon spheres; Electroeatalysts; Water splitting
Funding
- Basic Science Research Program through the National Research Foundation (NRF) - Ministry of Science and ICT of Republic of Korea [2017R1A2B3004917]
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Due to the easy recyclability and pollution-free nature of hydrogen fuel, its highly purified production through electrochemical water splitting process has been attracting increasing attention. In this work, a hybrid of hierarchical porous nickel-cobalt phosphide nanoneedle arrays supported micro-carbon spheres was successfully synthesized and employed as robust bifunctional electrocatalyst for overall water splitting. The optimized Ni1Co3-P@CSs displayed catalytic activity with a low overpotential (eta) of 57 mV at 10 mA cm(-2) for hydrogen evolution and a eta of 330 mV at 20 mA cm(-2) for oxygen evolution, along with good stability after testing for 30 h. The water splitting cell of the Ni1Co3-P@CSs delivered smaller cell voltage at a current density of 50 mA cm-2 and much better durability than a similar device based on RuO2/C and Pt/C. The enhanced performance was assumed to the unique hierarchical three-dimensional urchin nanostructure of bimetallic phosphide nano needles, which resulted in the synergetic effects to modulate electronic properties and electroactive surface area. These improved the reactant's intermediates adsorption energy, number of exposed active sites, and various shortened channels for charge transfer and reactant/electrolyte diffusion. Our finding offers an attractive electrocatalyst with low cost and high catalytic activity for efficient water electrolysis.
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