磷掺杂镍基硫化物超薄纳米片构筑多级微孔双功能催化剂促进高效水电解产氢

利用一步水热合成法在三维多孔泡沫镍(nickel foam,简称NF)表面构筑了由超薄纳米片交织互联形成的多级微孔结构复合材料。当初始混合料液中硫、磷物质的量之比为1∶1时,在120 ℃下水热反应24 h获得了以Ni₃S₂为主晶相、少量NiPS₃为次晶相的镍基复合电催化剂(NiSP/NF)。得益于其超薄纳米片交织形成的独特二级微孔结构,其电化学活性面积较空白NF增加了近14倍,也为其在水电解析氢反应中的应用提供了充足的活性位点和界面通道。同时,受益于晶态Ni₃S₂和NiPS₃所造成的晶格缺陷和强电子作用,材料的本征催化活性也得以显著提升。多方协同作用使得NiSP/NF在全水分解中均表现出优异的催化性能,在1 mol·L^-1 KOH溶液中获得10 mA·cm^-2的电流密度,需要的析氢和析氧过电位仅为67和212 mV。在全水分解电解槽中,其获得100 mA·cm^-2的电流密度所需的槽电压仅为1.878 V,甚至在500 mA·cm^-2的高电流密度下需要的分解槽压也仅为2.558 V,优于商业贵金属催化剂,电解水产氢效率显著提高。NiSP/NF在全水分解中还呈现了极优异的长效稳定性及耐用性,在电流密度为500 mA·cm^-2时经过120 h的恒电流催化后,其增加的分解槽压不足0.03 V。     

两步电沉积构建NiFe/Ni3S2/NF分级异质电极用于大电流密度析氧反应

通过简便的两步电沉积法在泡沫镍表面有效复合非晶态Ni₃S₂材料与富缺陷的NiFe双金属羟基氧化物,从而构建了NiFe/Ni₃S₂/NF三维分级纳米异质电极。受益于非晶态Ni₃S₂和富缺陷NiFe材料的结构和催化优势,以及异质界面的强电子相互作用,使得NiFe/Ni₃S₂/NF催化电极表现出优异的析氧催化性能：达到100 mA·cm^-2时的析氧过电位仅为273 mV,远优于大多数已报道的Ni/Fe基复合材料。值得注意的是,在1 mol·L^-1 KOH溶液中,仅需~372 mV的过电位即可稳定输出1 000 mA·cm^-2的高电流密度达27 h以上。     

介孔调控Co9S8/Ni3S2复合电极材料及电催化析氢性能

利用快速凝固结合化学脱铝模板法制备前驱体纳米多孔Ni-Co合金,再经气相沉积硫和热氢还原制备纳米多孔Co₉S₈/Ni₃S₂复合电极材料。研究表明,通过气相沉积,硫原子与Ni-Co合金原位生成CoS₂/NiS₂复合相,再经过热氢还原后,形成硫原子比例较低的Co₉S₈/Ni₃S₂复合相。该热氢还原过程不仅提高了Co₉S₈/Ni₃S₂各元素周围的电子密度,而且在其表面调制出有介孔结构的异质界面,进而提高其电子传输能力并增大活性比表面积。相比于其他同条件下制备的Ni、Co硫化物,Co₉S₈/Ni₃S₂拥有更佳的析氢反应（HER）活性,在50 mA·cm^-2的电流密度下,Co₉S₈/Ni₃S₂的HER过电位为234 mV,Tafel斜率为106 mV·dec^-1,经稳定性测试后,电压变化仅为14 mV。     

纳米多孔Ni、Ni3S2/Ni复合电极的制备及其电催化析氢性能

采用脱合金化和水热合成的方法制备纳米多孔Ni和纳米多孔Ni₃S₂/Ni复合电极。通过N₂吸附-脱附测试、XRD、SEM、TEM等方法表征电极的孔径分布、物相和微观结构。在1 mol·L^-1的NaOH溶液中,运用线性扫描伏安（LSV）曲线、交流阻抗（EIS）谱图、恒电流电解法等测试电极的电催化析氢性能。结果表明：在电流密度为50 mA·cm^-2时,与纳米多孔Ni相比,Ni₃S₂/Ni合金具有更低的析氢过电位以及更高的析氢活性,同时纳米多孔Ni₃S₂/Ni复合电极具有更低表观活化能和电子转移阻抗,进一步明确了过渡金属硫化物对电催化析氢性能的特殊贡献。     

Zn掺杂Co9S8纳米材料的制备及其在超级电容器和电催化析氢中的应用

采用原位溶剂热生长法设计合成了锌掺杂Co₉S₈纳米颗粒。各种表征技术和性能测试结果表明：锌掺杂Co₉S₈纳米颗粒的孔尺寸为18 nm,比表面积为23 m²·g^-1;同时微量的锌掺杂显著增强了Co₉S₈的电催化析氢（HER）活性及电容器性能。在HER性能测试中,当电流密度为10 mA·cm^-2时电位为-361 mV,电流密度最高可达38.26 mA·cm^-2,且具有优异的循环稳定性。同时在电容器性能测试中具有较高的比电容,当电流密度为1 A·g^-1时,质量比电容和面积比电容分别为235.48 F·g^-1和812.4 mF·cm^-2。     

二硫化钴多孔风叶结构助力肼辅助高效电解产氢

以泡沫镍(NF)为基底,采用一步水热法制备了主晶相为CoS₂、夹杂少量NiO相、具有三维多孔风叶结构的CoS₂/NF电极材料。当溶液中钴硫物质的量之比为 1∶5 时,在 140 ℃下保温 18 h,获得了由 10 nm 厚度的纳米片构成的三维风叶结构的晶态CoS₂/NF电催化剂。CoS₂/NF在肼氧化及析氢反应中均表现出优异的催化性能,在水合肼碱性介质中,获得-10 mA·cm^-2的析氢电流密度时,需要的过电势仅为83 mV,获得50 mA·cm^-2的氧化电流密度时,需要的肼氧化电位仅为51 mV(vs RHE);在水合肼辅助电解水双功能电解槽中,获得100 mA·cm^-2的电流密度时,需要的分解槽压仅为0.550 V,远低于其在同条件下全水分解的2.075 V,大幅减小了电能消耗,极大地提高了电解水产氢效率。无论在三电极体系还是双电极体系,CoS₂/NF均表现出优异的长效稳定性及耐用性。分析认为,电极表面多孔风叶结构的形成,使其电化学活性面积增加了24倍,为催化反应的发生提供了海量的活性位点及物质传递通道。CoS₂及NiO相的形成,在一定程度上协同改善了本征析氢活性。CoS₂/NF的组成、结构特性共用造就了其优异催化性能,其中结构优势起主导作用。通过机理研究,提出了CoS₂/NF在析氢及肼氧化过程中的反应路径。     

简易电沉积法制备CoFe-P催化剂用于高效析氧反应

开发低成本、高活性且稳定的非贵金属催化剂是实现大规模电解水制氢的关键所在。在此,我们通过简便、合理的电沉积法在泡沫镍(NF)上构建了一种具备超薄二维纳米片形貌的高度非晶相Co1Fe1-P薄膜用于高效催化析氧反应(OER)。在1.0mol·L^-1 KOH溶液中,所制备的Co1Fe1-P/NF催化剂在电流密度为10和100 mA·cm^-2处的过电位分别为274.4和329.5 mV,Tafel斜率仅为 45.3 mV·dec^-1,可以媲美商业 RuO₂催化剂。此外,Co1Fe1-P/NF 催化剂在 10 mA·cm^-2的 100 h 计时电压法测试和1 000次循环伏安法测试中均表现出卓越的催化稳定性。Co1Fe1-P/NF催化剂优秀的催化活性归因于其独特的形貌、高度非晶相结构提供的低能垒、优化的电子结构以及钴磷化物和铁磷化物的强协同效应。     

表面硫化和磷化提升钼酸镍的析氢性能

首先通过水热过程在泡沫镍（NF）上生长出钼酸镍纳米棒阵列（NMO/NF）,再依次利用水热硫化和气相磷化法改性钼酸镍纳米棒阵列获得三维自支撑析氢电催化剂（PS-NMO/NF）。研究表明,硫化作用诱导钼酸镍纳米棒阵列向类珊瑚球结构转变并形成具有高电化学活性表面积的无定形硫化物壳层,显著提高钼酸镍析氢反应（HER）活性。进一步磷化处理,表面形成的无定形磷酸盐与硫化物形成丰富的异质界面,促进了电子转移,进一步提升了电极的HER性能。在1 mol·L^-1 KOH电解液中,电流密度为10 mA·cm^-2时,PS-NMO/NF所对应的析氢过电势为93 mV; 100 mA·cm^-2的电流密度所对应的析氢过电势仅为180mV,Tafel斜率为67 mV·dec^-1,而且在20 h内可稳定运行,无明显衰减。     

简易电沉积法制备CoFe-P催化剂用于高效析氧反应

开发低成本、高活性且稳定的非贵金属催化剂是实现大规模电解水制氢的关键所在。在此,我们通过简便、合理的电沉积法在泡沫镍(NF)上构建了一种具备超薄二维纳米片形貌的高度非晶相Co1Fe1-P薄膜用于高效催化析氧反应（OER）。在1.0mol·L^-1 KOH溶液中,所制备的Co1Fe1-P/NF催化剂在电流密度为10和100 mA·cm^-2处的过电位分别为274.4和329.5 mV,Tafel斜率仅为45.3 mV·dec^-1,可以媲美商业RuO₂催化剂。此外,Co1Fe1-P/NF催化剂在10 mA·cm^-2的100 h计时电压法测试和1 000次循环伏安法测试中均表现出卓越的催化稳定性。Co1Fe1-P/NF催化剂优秀的催化活性归因于其独特的形貌、高度非晶相结构提供的低能垒、优化的电子结构以及钴磷化物和铁磷化物的强协同效应。     

泡沫镍原位负载双金属AlCo层状双氢氧化物纳米催化剂高效电催化析氧反应

经一步水热法在泡沫镍（NF）上原位生长获得了AlCo-LDH/NF （LDH=层状双氢氧化物）催化剂。基于AlCo-LDH的高表面积和良好相界面,催化剂表现出了优异的电催化析氧反应（OER）活性。在碱性介质中,当电流密度为200 mA·cm^-2时,AlCo₃-LDH/NF催化剂具有419 mV的低过电位和50.04 mV·dec^-1的低Tafel斜率。     

Current progress of molybdenum carbide-based materials for electrocatalysis: potential electrocatalysts with diverse applications

Electrocatalysts are the cores of many electrochemical reactions including hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), oxygen evolution reaction (OER), oxygen reduction reaction (ORR), nitrogen reduction reaction (NRR), and CO₂ reduction reaction (CO₂RR). Recent advances in research have demonstrated the potentials of molybdenum carbide-based catalysts for these reactions arising out of their unique electronic structure and physicochemical properties. In this review, we systematically summarize the recent advances of molybdenum carbide-based catalysts in these electrochemical processes. The corresponding synthesis strategies, structure and electrocatalytic performance of the catalysts are discussed and the relationships of the process-structure-property are highlighted. In addition, the catalytic mechanisms are analyzed based on the structure characterization and theoretical calculations results. Finally, the existing challenges and future perspectives are put forward for further development of molybdenum carbide-based catalysts.     

Phosphorene-Based Electrocatalysts

Phosphorene, generally defined as two-dimensional (2D) black phosphorus (BP) with monolayered or few-layered structure, has emerged as a promising member of the family of 2D materials. Since its discovery in 2014, extensive research has been focused on broadening its applications, covering the biological, photoelectric, and electrochemical fields, owing to the unique physicochemical and structural properties. As a single-elemental material, phosphorene has demonstrated its applicability for the preparation of efficient electrocatalysts for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), oxygen evolution reaction (OER), nitrogen reduction reaction (NRR), and other electrocatalytic applications. In this Minireview, a summary of the very recent research progresses of phosphorene in electrocatalysis is offered, with a special focus on the effective synthetic strategies towards performance improvement. In the concluding section, challenges and perspectives are also discussed.     

Single atom catalyst for electrocatalysis

Single atom catalyst (SAC) refers to a novel catalyst with the active metal atoms individually anchored on the support. Single atom catalysts present the unique appeal due to the high atomic availability and specific activity, as well as the high pathway selectivity. Herein, we summarized the classification, preparation, characterization, and application of single atom catalysts. Finally, the current bottlenecks and the outlooks of the SAC research are discussed.     

Recent trends in hydrogen and oxygen electrocatalysis for anion exchange membrane technologies

This review aims at presenting recent findings in the understanding of oxygen and hydrogen electrocatalysis in alkaline electrolytes that are key processes for the emergence of sustainable energy storage and conversion devices such as anion exchange membrane fuel cells and electrolyzers. In these systems, the exchange of electrons through electrochemical reactions provides a unique pathway to reversibly convert the electricity vector into chemical one: hydrogen. A concise and critical review of advances made during the last past years in the design of catalysts is provided. Challenges and opportunities for the development of the next catalyst generation are also addressed.     

Advances,opportunities, and challenges of hydrogen and oxygen production from seawater electrolysis: An electrocatalysis perspective

With increasing energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions, the importance of developing renewable energy sources to replace fossil fuels has become a vital global task. Hydrogen produced via water electrolysis powered by renewable energy systems at a large scale is an essential measure to reduce greenhouse gas and particulate emissions. Electrolysers use a substantial amount of water (mainly freshwater) to produce hydrogen and oxygen at the cathode, and anode, respectively. However, seawater is preferred because it is the most abundant water resource. Although many R&D efforts on seawater electrolysis have been carried out since the 1970s, the barriers are the undesired chlorine gas evolution reaction at the anode, and corrosion induced by chloride ions. Unlike the available data for electrocatalyst materials based upon platinum group metals in pure solutions, limited data is available for electrocatalysts in seawater. Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop new electrocatalysts for seawater electrolysis.     

双金属磷化物和杂原子共修饰碳材料的制备及电催化性能

以高含氮量的苯胺五聚体二羧酸为配体, 在预氧化的泡沫镍上通过溶剂热反应合成了Fe, Co金属有机框架材料Fe/Co-MOF, 再以Fe/Co-MOF为金属源和碳源, 经磷化后制备出一种新型的双金属(Fe, Co)和杂原子(N, P)共掺杂的碳材料Fe/Co/P-NPs. 通过扫描电子显微镜和高分辨透射电子显微镜表征发现, Fe/Co/P-NPs由纳米粒子和纳米片组成, 并且形成Fe₂P和Co₂P两种晶体. 电化学测试结果表明, Fe/Co/P-NPs在析氢、 析氧及水电解中表现出了优异的多功能催化活性. 在1 mol/L KOH中, Fe/Co/P-NPs在10和100 mA/cm ²电流密度时的析氧过电位分别为270和300 mV, 均小于其它对比材料, 优于负载在泡沫镍上的RuO₂. 作为水电解双功能催化剂, Fe/Co/P-NPs仅需1.48 V的电位即可获得10 mA/cm ²的电流密度.     

Tuning the Composition and Structure of Ni@MoC Nanosheets for Highly Active and Stable Electrocatalysis in Water Splitting

The conventional electrolytic water-splitting process for hydrogen production is plagued by high energy consumption, low efficiency, and the requirement of expensive catalysts. Therefore, finding effective, affordable, and stable catalysts to drive this reaction is urgently needed. We report a nanosheet catalyst composed of carbon nanotubes encapsulated with MoC/Mo₂C, the Ni@MoC-700 nanosheet showcases low overpotentials of 275 mV for the oxygen evolution reaction and 173 mV for the hydrogen evolution reaction at a current density of 10 mA ⋅ cm⁻². Particularly noteworthy is its outstanding performance in a two-electrode system, where a cell potential of merely 1.64 V is sufficient to achieve the desired current density of 10 mA ⋅ cm⁻². Furthermore, the catalyst demonstrates exceptional durability, maintaining its activity over a continuous operation of 40 hours with only minimal attenuation in overpotential. These outstanding activity levels and long-term stability unequivocally highlight the promising potential of the Ni@MoC-700 catalyst for large-scale water-splitting applications.     

Insights on the Electrocatalytic Seawater Splitting at Heterogeneous Nickel-Cobalt Based Electrocatalysts Engineered from Oxidative Aniline Polymerization and Calcination

Given the limited access to freshwater compared to seawater, a growing interest surrounds the direct seawater electrolysis to produce hydrogen. However, we currently lack efficient electrocatalysts to selectively perform the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) over the oxidation of the chloride ions that are the main components of seawater. In this contribution, we report an engineering strategy to synthesize heterogeneous electrocatalysts by the simultaneous formation of separate chalcogenides of nickel (NiS_x, x = 0, 2/3, 8/9, and 4/3) and cobalt (CoS_x, x = 0 and 8/9) onto a carbon-nitrogen-sulfur nanostructured network. Specifically, the oxidative aniline polymerization in the presence of metallic cations was combined with the calcination to regulate the separate formation of various self-supported phases in order to target the multifunctional applicability as both hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and OER in a simulated alkaline seawater. The OER’s metric current densities of 10 and 100 mA cm⁻² were achieved at the bimetallic for only 1.60 and 1.63 V_RHE, respectively. This high-performance was maintained in the electrolysis with a starting voltage of 1.6 V and satisfactory stability at 100 mA over 17 h. Our findings validate a high selectivity for OER of ~100%, which outperforms the previously reported data of 87–95%.     

NiFe水滑石纳米片阵列负载Ru用于提升碱性电催化析氢和析氧性能

通过离子交换的方式将Ru负载到NiFe水滑石（LDH）纳米阵列表面得到（Ru/NiFe LDH），Ru的引入显著提升了NiFe LDH的活性比表面积，暴露了更多的活性位点，同时调控了其电子结构，大大提升了其本征催化活性。在碱性条件下，催化析氢反应时仅需50 mV的过电位即可达到10 mA·cm^-2的电流密度，Tafel斜率为52.3 mV·dec^-1。而相同条件下原始NiFe LDH达到10mA·cm^-2的电流密度则需要226 mV的过电位，Tafel斜率为157.5 mV·dec^-1。同时制备的Ru/NiFe LDH也展现出了良好的析氧催化活性，在50 mA·cm^-2的电流密度下，过电位仅为231 mV，而NiFe LDH则需237 mV。Ru/NiFe LDH在长时间的电催化条件下依然能保持良好的工作稳定性。