Hydrogen production by electrocatalytic water splitting is an efficient and economical technology, however, is severely impeded by the kinetic-sluggish and low value-added anodic oxygen evolution reaction. Here we report the nickel-molybdenum-nitride nanoplates loaded on carbon fiber cloth (Ni-Mo-N/CFC), for the concurrent electrolytic productions of high-purity hydrogen at the cathode and value-added formate at the anode in low-cost alkaline glycerol solutions. Especially, when equipped with Ni-Mo-N/CFC at both anode and cathode, the established electrolyzer requires as low as 1.36 V of cell voltage to achieve 10 mA cm−2, which is 260 mV lower than that in alkaline aqueous solution. Moreover, high Faraday efficiencies of 99.7% for H2 evolution and 95.0% for formate production have been obtained. Based on the excellent electrochemical performances of Ni-Mo-N/CFC, electrolytic H2 and formate productions from the alkaline glycerol solutions are an energy-efficient and promising technology for the renewable and clean energy supply in the future.
H2 production via water electrolysis is of great significance in clean energy production, which, however, suffers from the sluggish kinetics of the anodic oxygen evolution reaction (OER). Moreover, the anode product, O2, which is of rather low value, may lead to dangerous explosions and the generation of membrane‐degrading reactive oxygen species. Herein, to address these issues of electrocatalytic H2 production, we summarize the most recent advances in three stages based on the benefit increments and various electron donation routes, which are: 1) electron donation by traditional OER: developing efficient catalysts for water oxidation to promote H2 production; 2) electron donation by the oxidation of sacrificial agents: using sacrificial agents to assist H2 production; 3) electron donation by electrosynthesis reaction: achieving electrosynthesis in parallel with cathodic H2 production. Present challenges and related prospects will also be discussed, hopefully to benefit the further progress of electrocatalytic H2 generation.
The electrochemical conversion of carbon dioxide into energy‐carrying compounds or value‐added chemicals is of great significance for diminishing the greenhouse effect and the efficient utilization of carbon‐dioxide emissions, but it suffers from the kinetically sluggish anodic oxygen evolution reaction (OER) and its less value‐added production of O2. We report a general strategy for efficient formic‐acid synthesis by a concurrent cathodic CO2 reduction and anodic partial methanol‐oxidation reaction (MOR) using mesoporous SnO2 grown on carbon cloth (mSnO2/CC) and CuO nanosheets grown on copper foam (CuONS/CF) as cathodic and anodic catalysts, respectively. Anodic CuONS/CF enables an extremely lowered potential of 1.47 V vs. RHE (100 mA cm−2), featuring a significantly enhanced electro‐activity in comparison to the OER. The cathodic mSnO2/CC shows a rather high Faraday efficiency of 81 % at 0.7 V vs. RHE for formic‐acid production from CO2. The established electrolyzer equipped with CuONS/CF at the anode and mSnO2/CC at the cathode requires a considerably low cell voltage of 0.93 V at 10 mA cm−2 for formic‐acid production at both sides.
Cu doped cobalt hydroxide with a uniform ultrathin structure was synthesized by a facile and green strategy. The synthesized samples show excellent oxygen evolution activity and stability. The possible reaction mechanisms for these samples have been proposed.
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