Cobalt phosphide nanowall arrays supported on carbon cloth: an efficient monolithic non-noble-metal hydrogen evolution catalyst

Abstract

Hydrogen has been considered as an ideal energy carrier for replacing fossil fuels to mitigate global energy crises. Hydrolysis of sodium borohydride (NaBH) is simple and effective for hydrogen production but needs active and durable catalysts to accelerate the kinetics. In this paper, we demonstrate that cobalt phosphide nanowall arrays supported on carbon cloth (CoP NAs/CC) efficiently catalyze the hydrolytic dehydrogenation of NaBH with an activation energy of 42.1 kJ mol in alkaline media. These monolithic CoP NAs/CC show a maximum hydrogen generation rate of [Formula: see text] and are robust with superior durability and reusability. They are also excellent in activity and durability for electrochemical hydrogen evolution in 1.0 M KOH, with the need of an overpotential of only 80 mV to drive 10 mA cm. They offer us a promising low-cost hydrogen-generating catalyst for applications.

Design and Application of Foams for Electrocatalysis

“…On use of the as‐fabricated CoP/Ni foam as bifunctional and flexible working electrode for both HER and OER, it only required a low voltage of 1.62 V to afford an overall–water–splitting current density of 10 mA cm −2 , indicating its superior activity compared with noble‐metal benchmarks and state–of–the–art transition‐metal based catalysts. Both foam‐based NiCo 2 S 4 and CoP catalysts show an enhanced water‐splitting efficiency compared with the materials reported in our previously reported works (NiCo 2 S 4 nanowire array on carbon cloth and CoP nanowire array on Ti mesh), which might be due to the intrinsic catalytic activity and 3 D skeleton of Ni foam.…”

A Simple Method for Preparing Carbon‐doped CoP to Enhance Hydrogen Evolution Reaction

“…In Figure 6a, Co 2p 3/2 shows one satellite peak at 785.95 eV and two chiefly peaks at 778.73 eV and 781.08 eV, respectively. Co 2p 1/2 shows one satellite peak at 802.43 eV and two chiefly peaks at 793.63 eV and 797.64 eV, respectively [49] . Compared with CoP‐120, CoP/C‐120 (Figure 7b) shows one satellite peak at 786.01 eV and two chiefly peaks at 778.93 eV and 781.18 eV about Co 2p 3/2 , respectively.…”

“…Co 2p 1/2 shows one satellite peak at 802.43 eV and two chiefly peaks at 793.63 eV and 797.64 eV, respectively. [49] Compared with CoP-120, CoP/C-120 (Figure 7b) shows one satellite peak at 786.01 eV and two chiefly peaks at 778.93 eV and 781.18 eV about Co 2p 3/2 , respectively. Co 2p 1/2 shows one satellite peak at 802.63 eV and two chiefly peaks at 793.88 eV and 797.83 eV, respectively.…”

An efficient on-board metal-free nanocatalyst for controlled room temperature hydrogen production

“…as well as some low cost metals and compounds i.e. nickel boride, 22,23 carbon supported Co, 24,25 cobalt boride 26,27 etc. have been exploited as catalyst in the hydrolysis of NaBH 4 .…”