Self‐Supported FeP‐CoMoP Hierarchical Nanostructures for Efficient Hydrogen Evolution

Fabricating highly efficient electrocatalysts for electrochemical hydrogen generation is a top priority to relief the global energy crisis and environmental contamination. Herein, a rational synthetic strategy is developed for constructing well‐defined FeP?CoMoP hierarchical nanostructures (HNSs). In general terms, the self‐supported Co nanorods (NRs) are grown on conductive carbon cloth and directly serve as a self‐sacrificing template. After solvothermal treatment, Co NRs are converted into well‐ordered Co?Mo nanotubes (NTs). Subsequently, the small‐sized Fe oxyhydroxide nanorods arrays are hydrothermally grown on the surface of Co?Mo NTs to form Fe?Co?Mo HNSs, which are then converted into FeP?CoMoP HNSs through a facile phosphorization treatment. FeP?CoMoP HNSs display high activity for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) with an ultralow cathodic overpotential of 33 mV at 10 mA cm^?2 and a Tafel slope of 51 mV dec^?1. Moreover, FeP?CoMoP HNSs also possess an excellent electrochemical durability in alkaline media. First‐principles density functional theory (DFT) calculations demonstrate that the remarkable HER activitiy of FeP?CoMoP HNSs originates from the synergistic effect between FeP and CoMoP.     

Prussian Blue‐Derived Iron Phosphide Nanoparticles in a Porous Graphene Aerogel as Efficient Electrocatalyst for Hydrogen Evolution Reaction

Tailoring of new hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) electrocatalyst with earth abundant elements is important for large scale water splitting and hydrogen production. In this work, we present a simple synthetic method for incorporating iron phosphide (FeP) particles into three‐dimensional (3D) porous graphene aerogel (GA) structure. The FeP formed in porous 3D GA (FeP/GA) is derived from electroactive Fe hexacyanoferrate (FeHCF). The advantage of incorporating FeP, in the porous 3D graphene network enables high accessibility for HER. As synthesized FeP/GA catalyst shows good electrocatalytic activity for HER in both acidic and alkaline solutions. The developed method can be useful for synthesizing metal hexacyanoferrate derived mono/bimetal phosphide catalyst in porous 3D graphene aerogels.     

Highly Selective Electrochemical Reduction of CO2 to Alcohols on an FeP Nanoarray

Electrochemical reduction of CO₂ into various chemicals and fuels provides an attractive pathway for environmental and energy sustainability. It is now shown that a FeP nanoarray on Ti mesh (FeP NA/TM) acts as an efficient 3D catalyst electrode for the CO₂ reduction reaction to convert CO₂ into alcohols with high selectivity. In 0.5 m KHCO₃, such FeP NA/TM is capable of achieving a high Faradaic efficiency (FE ) up to 80.2 %, with a total FE of 94.3 % at ?0.20 V vs. reversible hydrogen electrode. Density functional theory calculations reveal that the FeP(211) surface significantly promotes the adsorption and reduction of CO₂ toward CH₃OH owing to the synergistic effect of two adjacent Fe atoms, and the potential‐determining step is the hydrogenation process of *CO.     

High‐Performance Electrolytic Oxygen Evolution in Neutral Media Catalyzed by a Cobalt Phosphate Nanoarray

The topotactic conversion of cobalt phosphide nanoarray on Ti mesh into a cobalt phosphate nanoarray (Co‐Pi NA) via oxidative polarization in phosphate‐buffered water is presented. As a 3D oxygen evolution reaction (OER) catalyst electrode at neutral pH, the resulting Co‐Pi NA/Ti shows exceptionally high catalytic activity and demands an overpotential of only 450 mV to drive a geometrical catalytic current density of 10 mA cm⁻². Notably, this catalyst also shows superior long‐term electrochemical stability. The excellent catalytic activity can be attributed to that such 3D nanoarray configuration allows for the exposure of more active sites and the easier diffusion of electrolytes and oxygen.     

NiSe Nanowire Film Supported on Nickel Foam: An Efficient and Stable 3D Bifunctional Electrode for Full Water Splitting

Active and stable electrocatalysts made from earth‐abundant elements are key to water splitting for hydrogen production through electrolysis. The growth of NiSe nanowire film on nickel foam (NiSe/NF) in situ by hydrothermal treatment of NF using NaHSe as Se source is presented. When used as a 3D oxygen evolution electrode, the NiSe/NF exhibits high activity with an overpotential of 270 mV required to achieve 20 mA cm^?2 and strong durability in 1.0 M KOH, and the NiOOH species formed at the NiSe surface serves as the actual catalytic site. The system is also highly efficient for catalyzing the hydrogen evolution reaction in basic media. This bifunctional electrode enables a high‐performance alkaline water electrolyzer with 10 mA cm^?2 at a cell voltage of 1.63 V.     

Synthesis of Bi-doped TiO2 Nanotubes and Enhanced Photocatalytic Activity for Hydrogen Evolution from Glycerol Solution

Bi‐doped TiO₂ nanotubes with variable Bi/Ti ratios were synthesized by hydrothermal treatment in 10 mol·L^?1 NaOH (aq.) through using Bi‐doped TiO₂ particles derived from conventional sol‐gel method as starting materials. The effects of Bi content on the morphology, textural properties, photo absorption and photocatalytic activity of TiO₂ nanotubes were investigated. The scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X‐ray diffraction (XRD) and X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) observations of the obtained samples revealed the formation of titanate nanotube structure doped with Bi, which exists as a higher oxidation state than Bi³⁺. Bi‐doping TiO₂ nanotubes exhibited an extension of light absorption into the visible region and improved photocatalytic activities for hydrogen production from a glycerol/water mixed solution as compared with pure TiO₂ nanotubes. There was an optimal Bi‐doped content for the photocatalytic hydrogen production, and high content of Bi would retard the phase transition of titanate to anatase and result in morphology change from nanotube to nanobelt, which in turn decreases the photocatlytic activity for hydrogen evolution.     

Fe/Co‐based Bimetallic MOF‐derived Co3Fe7@NCNTFs Bifunctional Electrocatalyst for High‐Efficiency Overall Water Splitting

Electrocatalytic water splitting to produce hydrogen and oxygen is regarded as one of the most promising methods to generate clean and sustainable energy for replacing fossil fuels. However, the design and development of an efficient bifunctional catalyst for simultaneous generation of hydrogen and oxygen remains extremely challenging yet is critical for the practical implementation of water electrolysis. Here, we report a facile method to fabricate novel N‐doped carbon nanotube frameworks (NCNTFs) by the pyrolysis of a bimetallic metal organic framework (MIL‐88‐Fe/Co). The resultant electrocatalyst, Co₃Fe₇@NCNTFs, exhibits excellent oxygen evolution reaction (OER) activity, achieving 10 mA/cm² at a low overpotential of just 264 mV in 1 M KOH solution, and 197 mV for the hydrogen evolution reaction. The high electrocatalytic activity arises from the synergistic effect between the chemistry of the Co₃Fe₇ and the NCNTs coupled to the novel framework structure. The remarkable electrocatalytic performance of our bifunctional electrocatalyst provides a promising pathway to high‐performance overall water splitting and electrochemical energy devices.     

MOFs Conferred with Transient Metal Centers for Enhanced Photocatalytic Activity

Highly effective photocatalysts for the hydrogen‐evolution reaction were developed by conferring the linkers of NH₂‐MIL‐125(Ti), a metal–organic framework (MOF) constructed from TiO_x clusters and 2‐aminoterephthalic acid (linkers), with active copper centers. This design enables effective transfer of electrons from the linkers to the transient Cu²⁺/Cu⁺ centers, leading to 7000‐fold and 27‐fold increase of carrier density and lifetime of photogenerated charges, respectively, as well as high‐rate production of H₂ under visible‐light irradiation. This work provides a novel design of a photocatalyst for hydrogen evolution using non‐noble Cu²⁺/Cu⁺ as co‐catalysts.     

Highly Active Electrocatalysis of the Hydrogen Evolution Reaction by Cobalt Phosphide Nanoparticles

Nanoparticles of cobalt phosphide, CoP, have been prepared and evaluated as electrocatalysts for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) under strongly acidic conditions (0.50 M H₂SO₄, pH 0.3). Uniform, multi‐faceted CoP nanoparticles were synthesized by reacting Co nanoparticles with trioctylphosphine. Electrodes comprised of CoP nanoparticles on a Ti support (2 mg cm^?2 mass loading) produced a cathodic current density of 20 mA cm^?2 at an overpotential of ?85 mV. The CoP/Ti electrodes were stable over 24 h of sustained hydrogen production in 0.50 M H₂SO₄. The activity was essentially unchanged after 400 cyclic voltammetric sweeps, suggesting long‐term viability under operating conditions. CoP is therefore amongst the most active, acid‐stable, earth‐abundant HER electrocatalysts reported to date.     

Energy‐Saving Electrolytic Hydrogen Generation: Ni2P Nanoarray as a High‐Performance Non‐Noble‐Metal Electrocatalyst

It is highly attractive but challenging to develop earth‐abundant electrocatalysts for energy‐saving electrolytic hydrogen generation. Herein, we report that Ni₂P nanoarrays grown in situ on nickel foam (Ni₂P/NF) behave as a durable high‐performance non‐noble‐metal electrocatalyst for hydrazine oxidation reaction (HzOR) in alkaline media. The replacement of the sluggish anodic oxygen evolution reaction with such the more thermodynamically favorable HzOR enables energy‐saving electrochemical hydrogen production with the use of Ni₂P/NF as a bifunctional catalyst for anodic HzOR and cathodic hydrogen evolution reaction. When operated at room temperature, this two‐electrode electrolytic system drives 500 mA cm⁻² at a cell voltage as low as 1.0 V with strong long‐term electrochemical durability and 100 % Faradaic efficiency for hydrogen evolution in 1.0 m KOH aqueous solution with 0.5 m hydrazine.     

Noble Metals Can Have Different Effects on Photocatalysis Over Metal–Organic Frameworks (MOFs): A Case Study on M/NH2‐MIL‐125(Ti) (M=Pt and Au)

M‐doped NH₂‐MIL‐125(Ti) (M=Pt and Au) were prepared by using the wetness impregnation method followed by a treatment with H₂ flow. The resultant samples were characterized by powder X‐ray diffraction (XRD), X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), X‐ray absorption fine structure (XAFS) analyses, N₂‐sorption BET surface area, and UV/Vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS). The photocatalytic reaction carried out in saturated CO₂ with triethanolamine (TEOA) as sacrificial agent under visible‐light irradiations showed that the noble metal‐doping on NH₂‐MIL‐125(Ti) promoted the photocatalytic hydrogen evolution. Unlike that over pure NH₂‐MIL‐125(Ti), in which only formate was produced, both hydrogen and formate were formed over Pt‐ and Au‐loaded NH₂‐MIL‐125(Ti). However, Pt and Au have different effects on the photocatalytic performance for formate production. Compared with pure NH₂‐MIL‐125(Ti), Pt/NH₂‐MIL‐125(Ti) showed an enhanced activity for photocatalytic formate formation, whereas Au has a negative effect on this reaction. To elucidate the origin of the different photocatalytic performance, electron spin resonance (ESR) analyses and density functional theory (DFT) calculations were carried out over M/NH₂‐MIL‐125(Ti).The photocatalytic mechanisms over M/NH₂‐MIL‐125(Ti) (M=Pt and Au) were proposed. For the first time, the hydrogen spillover from the noble metal Pt to the framework of NH₂‐MIL‐125(Ti) and its promoting effect on the photocatalytic CO₂ reduction is revealed. The elucidation of the mechanism on the photocatalysis over M/NH₂‐MIL‐125(Ti) can provide some guidance in the development of new photocatalysts based on MOF materials. This study also demonstrates the potential of using noble metal‐doped MOFs in photocatalytic reactions involving hydrogen as a reactant, like hydrogenation reactions.     

An Engineered Superhydrophilic/Superaerophobic Electrocatalyst Composed of the Supported CoMoSx Chalcogel for Overall Water Splitting

The development of high‐efficiency electrocatalysts for large‐scale water splitting is critical but also challenging. In this study, a hierarchical CoMoS_x chalcogel was synthesized on a nickel foam (NF) through an in situ metathesis reaction and demonstrated excellent activity and stability in the electrocatalytic hydrogen evolution reaction and oxygen evolution reaction in alkaline media. The high catalytic activity could be ascribed to the abundant active sites/defects in the amorphous framework and promotion of activity through cobalt doping. Furthermore, the superhydrophilicity and superaerophobicity of micro‐/nanostructured CoMoS_x/NF promoted mass transfer by facilitating access of electrolytes and ensuring fast release of gas bubbles. By employing CoMoS_x/NF as bifunctional electrocatalysts, the overall water splitting device delivered a current density of 500 mA cm^?2 at a low voltage of 1.89 V and maintained its activity without decay for 100 h.     

Core–Shell NiO@Ni‐P Hybrid Nanosheet Array for Synergistically Enhanced Oxygen Evolution Electrocatalysis: Experimental and Theoretical Insights

Cost‐effective and highly‐efficient electrocatalysts for the oxygen evolution reaction are crucial for electrolytic hydrogen production. Here, we report core–shell NiO@Ni‐P nanosheet arrays as a high‐performance 3D catalyst for water oxidation electrocatalysis. Such nanoarrays demand overpotentials of 292 and 350 mV to drive geometrical catalytic current densities of 10 and 100 mA cm^?2, respectively, with an activity superior to its NiO and Ni‐P counterparts. Notably, this catalyst also shows a high long‐term electrochemical durability with a Faradaic efficiency of 98.1 %. Density functional theory calculation reveals that the superior activity benefits from the synergistic effect between NiO and Ni‐P.     

Ni-Fe/Ti和Ni-Fe-S/Ti的制备及其电催化水分解性能

以钛网为基底,采用电沉积法制备了Ni-Fe/Ti析氧电极,然后将得到的Ni-Fe/Ti电极通过固相硫化制备了Ni-Fe-S/Ti析氢电极. 分别考察了电沉积液中Ni ²⁺/Fe ³⁺离子摩尔浓度比和硫脲加入量对Ni-Fe/Ti和Ni-Fe-S/Ti结构和电化学性能的影响. 结果表明,随着电沉积液中Ni ²⁺含量的增加,Ni-Fe/Ti电极析氧性能先增强后减弱,Ni9Fe1/Ti电极具有最好的析氧性能;随着硫脲加入量的增加,Ni-Fe-S/Ti电极析氢性能呈现先增强后减弱的趋势,Ni9Fe1S0.25/Ti电极具有最好的析氢性能. 在50 mA·cm ^-2下,Ni9Fe1/Ti电极的析氧过电位为280 mV,Ni9Fe1S0.25/Ti电极的析氢过电位为269 mV,且均具有很好的稳定性. 将Ni9Fe1/Ti与Ni9Fe1S0.25/Ti分别作为阳极和阴极进行电催化全水分解,电流密度达到50 mA·cm ^-2所需电势仅1.69 V,表现出很好的全水解催化性能.     

Porous Molybdenum‐Based Hybrid Catalysts for Highly Efficient Hydrogen Evolution

We have synthesized a porous Mo‐based composite obtained from a polyoxometalate‐based metal–organic framework and graphene oxide (POMOFs/GO) using a simple one‐pot method. The MoO₂@PC‐RGO hybrid material derived from the POMOFs/GO composite is prepared at a relatively low carbonization temperature, which presents a superior activity for the hydrogen‐evolution reaction (HER) in acidic media owing to the synergistic effects among highly dispersive MoO₂ particles, phosphorus‐doped porous carbon, and RGO substrates. MoO₂@PC‐RGO exhibits a very positive onset potential close to that of 20 % Pt/C, low Tafel slope of 41 mV dec^?1, high exchange current density of 4.8×10^?4 A cm^?2, and remarkable long‐term cycle stability. It is one of the best high‐performance catalysts among the reported nonprecious metal catalysts for HER to date.     

Fabrication of NiC/MoC/NiMoO4 Heterostructured Nanorod Arrays as Stable Bifunctional Electrocatalysts for Efficient Overall Water Splitting

Developing noble‐metal‐free, earth‐abundant, highly active, and stable electrocatalysts with high efficiency for both hydrogen and oxygen evolution reactions is of great importance for the development of overall water‐splitting devices, but still remains a challenging issue. Herein, a 3D heterostructured NiC/MoC/NiMoO₄ electrocatalyst was prepared through a facile synthetic procedure. The electrocatalyst shows a superior catalytic activity and stability toward the hydrogen and oxygen evolution reactions. The optimized NiC/MoC/NiMoO₄ catalyst presents low overpotentials of 68 and 280 mV to reach a current density of 10 mA cm^?2 in 1.0 m KOH for the hydrogen and oxygen evolution reactions, respectively. Assembled as an electrolyzer for overall water splitting, such a heterostructure shows quite a low cell voltage of 1.52 V at 10 mA cm^?2 and remarkable stability for more than 20 h. This work provides a facile but efficient approach for the design and preparation of highly efficient bifunctional and self‐supported heterostructured electrocatalysts that can serve as promising candidates in electrochemical energy storage and conversion.     

重铬酸钾电催化合成反应过程阳极稳定性及析气效应研究

针对重铬酸钾传统生产技术存在的高污染、高消耗等问题,研究了电催化合成重铬酸钾绿色新技术。实验研究了自制钌/铱/钛氧化物复合阳极的电催化性能,表征了电极表面形貌。结果表明,该阳极在铬酸钾溶液中具有较低的析氧电位和稳定的高催化活性。实验测得不同反应条件下的阴极析氢速率,建立了析氢速率和析氢量随阳极液铬酸钾初始浓度、反应温度及反应时间变化的数学模型,指出可用宏观测得的阴极析氢量定量表征重铬酸钾电催化反应进程,并讨论了析氢速率和析氢量的影响因素。     

新型的钛基Ni-Sn/Ti电极的制备及对甲醇氧化反应的电催化活性

利用电热法,一步制备出新型的钛基Ni-Sn/Ti电极(Ni8Sn/Ti, Ni7Sn3/Ti 和 Ni/Ti)。扫描电镜（SEM）图像表明,催化剂以片状的纳米颗粒形式沉积于钛基体上。利用电化学伏安技术、电位阶跃法和电化学交流阻抗谱（EIS）,研究了这些电极在1mol.L�1NaOH溶液中对甲醇氧化反应的电催化活性。研究表明,与Ni7Sn3/Ti,Ni/Ti以及多晶镍电极相比,Ni8Sn/Ti电极对甲醇氧化反应表现出更高的阳极氧化电流和更低的起始电位。EIS分析表明,在本文所考察的阳极电位和甲醇浓度下,Ni8Sn/Ti电极对甲醇氧化反应显示出极低的电荷传递电阻。结果表明,这种新型的钛基Ni8Sn/Ti电极对甲醇氧化反应具有极高的电催化活性。     

Highly Dispersed TiO6 Units in a Layered Double Hydroxide for Water Splitting

A family of photocatalysts for water splitting into hydrogen was prepared by distributing TiO₆ units in an MTi‐layered double hydroxide matrix (M=Ni, Zn, Mg) that displays largely enhanced photocatalytic activity with an H₂‐production rate of 31.4 μmol h^?1 as well as excellent recyclable performance. High‐angle annular dark‐field scanning transmission electron microscopy (HAADF‐STEM) mapping and XPS measurement reveal that a high dispersion of TiO₆ octahedra in the layered doubled hydroxide (LDH) matrix was obtained by the formation of an M²⁺‐O‐Ti network, rather different from the aggregation state of TiO₆ in the inorganic layered material K₂Ti₄O₉. Both transient absorption and photoluminescence spectra demonstrate that the electron–hole recombination process was significantly depressed in the Ti‐containing LDH materials relative to bulk Ti oxide, which is attributed to the abundant surface defects that serve as trapping sites for photogenerated electrons verified by positron annihilation and extended X‐ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) techniques. In addition, a theoretical study on the basis of DFT calculations demonstrates that the electronic structure of the TiO₆ units was modified by the adjacent MO₆ octahedron by means of covalent interactions, with a much decreased bandgap of 2.1 eV, which accounts for its superior water‐splitting behavior. Therefore, the dispersion strategy for TiO₆ units within a 2D inorganic matrix can be extended to fabricate other oxide or hydroxide catalysts with greatly enhanced performance in photocatalysis and energy conversion.     

ZnO/ZnS Heterostructured Nanorod Arrays and Their Efficient Photocatalytic Hydrogen Evolution

Semiconducting heterostructures have been widely applied in photocatalytic hydrogen evolution due to their variable band gaps and high energy conversion efficiency. As typical semiconducting heterostructures, ZnO/ZnS heterostructured nanorod arrays (HNRAs) have been obtained through a simple anion‐exchange process in this work. Structural characterization indicates that the heterostructured nanorods (HNRs) are all composed of hexagonal wurtzite ZnO core and cubic zinc‐blende ZnS shell. As expected, the as‐obtained one‐dimensional heterostructures not only lower the energy barrier but also enhance the separation ability of photogenerated carriers in photocatalytic hydrogen evolution. Through comparisons, it is found that 1D ZnO/ZnS HNRAs exhibit much better performance in photocatalytic hydrogen evolution than 1D ZnO nanorod arrays (NRAs) and 1D ZnS NRAs. The maximum H₂ production is 19.2 mmol h^?1 for 0.05 g catalyst under solar‐simulated light irradiation at 25 °C and the corresponding quantum efficiency is 13.9 %, which goes beyond the economical threshold of photocatalytic hydrogen evolution technology.