Ferric phosphide nanoparticles film supported on titanium plate: A high-performance hydrogen evolution cathode in both acidic and neutral solutions

In this paper, we demonstrate the preparation of ferric phosphide nanoparticles film supported on titanium plate (FeP/Ti) through low-temperature phosphidation of electro-deposited ferric hydroxide nanoparticles film on Ti plate. When directly used as a hydrogen evolution cathode in acidic media, the FeP/Ti shows high catalytic performance and durability with nearly 100% Faradaic efficiency. It needs overpotentials of 116 and 191 mV to afford current densities of 10 and 100 mA cm(-2), respectively, and the catalytic activity is maintained for at least 12 h at an overpotential of 150 mV. This electrode also performs well in neutral solutions. Copyright (C) 2015, Hydrogen Energy Publications, LLC. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.