Highly Efficient Hydrogen Evolution from a Mesoporous Hybrid of Nickel Phosphide Nanoparticles Anchored on Cobalt Phosphosulfide/Phosphide Nanosheet Arrays

Abstract

Facile design of low‐cost and high‐efficiency catalysts with earth‐abundant and cheap materials is desirable to replace platinum (Pt) for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) in water splitting, but the development of such HER catalysts with Pt‐like activity using simple strategies remains challenging. A mesoporous hybrid catalyst of nickel phosphides nanoparticles and cobalt phosphosulfide/phosphide (CoS|Ni|P) nanosheet arrays for HER is reported here, which is developed by a facile three‐step approach consisting of electrodeposition, thermal sulfurization, and phosphorization. This hybrid catalyst is highly robust and stable in acid for HER, and is distinguished by very low overpotentials of 41, 88, and 150 mV to achieve 10, 100, and 1000 mA cm−2, respectively, as well as a small Tafel slope (45.2 mV dec−1), and a large exchange current density (964 µA cm−2). It is among the most efficient earth‐abundant catalysts reported thus far for HER. More importantly, this electrocatalyst has electrochemical durability over 20 h under a wide range of current densities (up to 1 A cm−2) in acidic conditions, as well as very high turnover frequencies of 0.40 and 1.26 H2 s−1 at overpotentials of 75 and 100 mV, respectively, showing that it has great potential for practical applications in large‐scale water electrolysis.

Designing Atomic Active Centers for Hydrogen Evolution Electrocatalysts

“…[20,21] Even an extremely low loading of Pt is active enough to facilitate the HER on the terawatt scale. [22] However,t he severe scarcity and the necessary mining of Pt result in it being expensive.A lthough catalysts such as phosphides, [23][24][25][26][27] carbides, [28][29][30][31][32] sulfides, [33][34][35][36][37][38] and others [39][40][41][42][43][44] have been exploited recently,t he outstanding properties of Pt/C have not been reached. Zhang et al [45] reported Pt 1 /FeO x single-atom catalysts (SACs) in 2011.…”

Design aktiver atomarer Zentren für HER‐Elektrokatalysatoren

“…[22] Die geringe Häufigkeit und die kostspielige Reindarstellung von Platin machen dieses jedoch sehr teuer. In letzter Zeit genutzte Katalysatoren wie Phosphide, [23][24][25][26][27] Carbide, [28][29][30][31][32] Sulfide [33][34][35][36][37][38] und andere [39][40][41][42][43][44] erreichen nicht die überragenden Leistungsmerkmale von Platin auf Kohlenstoff (Pt/C). 2011 berichteten Zhang et al [45] über Pt 1 /FeO x -Einzelatomkatalysatoren (single-atom catalysts, SACs).…”

“…24 Gew.-%), indem sie Nickelpartikel auf defektem Graphen glühten und anschließend in einer sauren Lçsung ätzten. Das Produkt wies eine ausgezeichnete Aktivitätm it einem TOF-Wert von bis zu 5.7 s À1 bei 100 mV gegen die reversible Wasserstoffelektrode auf.E sw urden einzelne Nickelatome,j edoch keine -cluster oder -nanopartikel beobachtet (Abbildung 8a).…”

Current Status of Self‐Supported Catalysts for Robust and Efficient Water Splitting for Commercial Electrolyzer

“…Sun and co‐workers fabricated nickel phosphides nanoparticles and CoS/Ni/P nanosheet arrays on Ni foam as a HER catalyst . Co species were first deposited on Ni foam by electrochemical deposition.…”