We developed a method to engineer well-distributed dicobalt phosphide (Co2P) nanoparticles encapsulated in N,P-doped graphene (Co2P@NPG) as electrocatalysts for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). We fabricated such nanostructure by the absorption of initiator and functional monomers, including acrylamide and phytic acid on graphene oxides, followed by UV-initiated polymerization, then by adsorption of cobalt ions and finally calcination to form N,P-doped graphene structures. Our experimental results show significantly enhanced performance for such engineered nanostructures due to the synergistic effect from nanoparticles encapsulation and nitrogen and phosphorus doping on graphene structures. The obtained Co2P@NPG modified cathode exhibits small overpotentials of only -45 mV at 1 mA cm(-2), respectively, with a low Tafel slope of 58 mV dec(-1) and high exchange current density of 0.21 mA cm(-2) in 0.5 M H2SO4. In addition, encapsulation by N,P-doped graphene effectively prevent nanoparticle from corrosion, exhibiting nearly unfading catalytic performance after 30 h testing. This versatile method also opens a door for unprecedented design and fabrication of novel low-cost metal phosphide electrocatalysts encapsulated by graphene.

For the first time, we demonstrated that transition metal and nitrogen codoped carbon nanocomposites synthesized by pyrolysis and heat treatment showed excellent catalytic activity toward hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) in both acidic and alkaline media. The overpotential at 10 mA cm–2 was 235 mV in a 0.5 M H2SO4 solution at a catalyst loading of 0.765 mg cm–2 for Co–N–C. In a 1 M KOH solution, the overpotential was only slightly increased by 35 mV. The high activity and excellent durability (negligible loss after 1000 cycles in both acidic and alkaline media) make this carbon-based catalyst a promising alternative to noble metals for HER. Electrochemical and density functional theory (DFT) calculation results suggested that transition metals and nitrogen played a critical role in activity enhancement. The active sites for HER might be associated with metal/N/C moieties, which have been also proposed as reaction centers for oxygen reduction reaction.

NiCoO microrods with open structures are successfully synthesized using a solvothermal method. Compared with those of dense microspheres, the one-dimensional (1D) porous microrods show much higher capacities and stability for both Li- and Na-ion batteries due to the 1D open structure facilitating fast ion transport and buffering volumetric change during charge/discharge. This work demonstrates that the electrochemical performance of NiCoO is highly dependent on morphologies of the active material.

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Engineering sub-100 nm Mo(1-x)WxSe2 crystals for abundant edge exposure and optimal W doping for efficient hydrogen evolution catalysis.

Electrochemical CO2 reduction reaction (CO2RR) to produce value‐added products has received tremendous research attention in recent years. With research efforts across the globe, remarkable advancement has been achieved, including the improvement of selectivity for the reduction products, the realization of efficient reduction beyond two electrons, and the delivery of industrially relevant current densities. In this review, we introduce the recent development of nanomaterials for CO2RR, including the zero‐dimensional graphene quantum dots, two‐dimensional materials such as metal chalcogenides and metal/covalent organic framework, single‐atom catalysts, and nanostructured metal catalysts. The engineering of materials into three‐dimensional structure will also be discussed. Finally, we will provide a summary of the catalytic performance and perspectives on future development.

Recent advances in laser-induced graphene (LIG) for environmental applications are comprehensively reviewed. Challenges and opportunities in solving environmental issues using LIG are discussed.

Electrochemical CO2 reduction reaction (CO2RR) has received significant research interest in recent years due to its potential to mitigate carbon emissions while providing valuable fuels and chemicals. The performance of...