The Scalable Solid-State Synthesis of a Ni5P4/Ni2P-FeNi Alloy Encapsulated into a Hierarchical Porous Carbon Framework for Efficient Oxygen Evolution Reactions

The exploration of high-performance and low-cost electrocatalysts towards the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) is essential for large-scale water/seawater splitting. Herein, we develop a strategy involving the in situ generation of a template and pore-former to encapsulate a Ni5P4/Ni2P heterojunction and dispersive FeNi alloy hybrid particles into a three-dimensional hierarchical porous graphitic carbon framework (labeled as Ni5P4/Ni2P-FeNi@C) via a room-temperature solid-state grinding and sodium-carbonate-assisted pyrolysis method. The synergistic effect of the components and the architecture provides a large surface area with a sufficient number of active sites and a hierarchical porous pathway for efficient electron transfer and mass diffusion. Furthermore, a graphitic carbon coating layer restrains the corrosion of alloy particles to boost the long-term durability of the catalyst. Consequently, the Ni5P4/Ni2P-FeNi@C catalyst exhibits extraordinary OER activity with a low overpotential of 242 mV (10 mA cm(-2)), outperforming the commercial RuO2 catalyst in 1 M KOH. Meanwhile, a scale-up of the Ni5P4/Ni2P-FeNi@C catalyst created by a ball-milling method displays a similar level of activity to the above grinding method. In 1 M KOH + seawater electrolyte, Ni5P4/Ni2P-FeNi@C also displays excellent stability; it can continuously operate for 160 h with a negligible potential increase of 2 mV. This work may provide a new avenue for facile mass production of an efficient electrocatalyst for water/seawater splitting and diverse other applications.

Automated summary

This study develops a strategy to prepare high-performance and low-cost electrocatalysts with excellent catalytic activity and stability for the oxygen evolution reaction. By combining different components and structures, the synergistic effect of the catalyst provides a large surface area with active sites and a hierarchical porous pathway for efficient electron transfer and mass diffusion. The catalyst also exhibits exceptional stability, making it suitable for water/seawater splitting and other applications.