Hierarchically nanostructured Ni2Fe2N as an efficient electrocatalyst for hydrazine oxidation reaction

The application of direct hydrazine fuel cells (DHFCs) as portable or vehicular power sources calls for the development of cheap and efficient catalysts for the anodic hydrazine oxidation reaction (HzOR). Herein, we report the facile fabrication of a Ni-foam-supported, hierarchically nanostructured Ni2Fe2N (Ni2Fe2N/NF) as a high-performance HzOR catalyst. The Ni2Fe2N/NF catalyst was fabricated by a simple hydrothermal method and a subsequent nitridation treatment. The thus-prepared Ni2Fe2N possesses high intrinsic activity towards HzOR, good electronic conductivity as well as a hierarchical architecture, which endows the catalyst with abundant active sites and improved mass transfer properties. Benefiting from these attributes, Ni2Fe2N/NF demonstrates highly efficient HzOR performance with a high current density of 1017 mA cm(-2) at 0.3 V versus RHE, excellent stability and a nearly 100% selectivity for the faradaic hydrazine decomposition following 4-electron pathway, surpassing most previously reported top-notch HzOR electrocatalysts.

Automated summary

In this study, a high-performance catalyst for hydrazine oxidation reaction (HzOR) was fabricated, which demonstrated high intrinsic activity, good conductivity, and a hierarchical structure, providing abundant active sites and improved mass transfer properties, leading to efficient HzOR performance.