Retrofitting of carbon-supported bimetallic Ni-based catalysts by phosphorization for hydrogen evolution reaction in acidic media

Commercial bimetallic Ni-Mo and Ni-Re electrocatalysts supported on advanced conductive carbon are high -performing materials for H2 evolution reaction in alkaline medium, but they cannot be applied in acidic me-dium due to the rapid dissolution of metals. In this work, we solve this issue by introducing a convenient phosphorization protocol to convert these commercial metallic electrocatalysts into the respective phosphides, rendering them stable under acidic conditions, and thus providing a pathway to electrocatalysts for water reduction in acidic electrolyte. The novel materials demonstrate high performance, as reflected by the measured low overpotentials, shallow Tafel slopes, fast kinetics, as well as excellent stability and durability. This work opens the possibility to expand the applicability of commercial supported metallic catalysts and electrocatalysts through retrofitting via phosphorization.

Automated summary

This work introduces a convenient phosphorization protocol to convert commercial bimetallic Ni-Mo and Ni-Re electrocatalysts into their respective phosphides, enabling them to be stable under acidic conditions and suitable for water reduction in acidic electrolyte.