Shape effects of nickel phosphide nanocrystals on hydrogen evolution reaction

Abstract

The preparation of size-and shape-controlled nanoparticles has enabled the understanding of important nanoscale catalytic phenomena, resulting in the design of advanced catalysts with enhanced activities and selectivities. Metal phosphides have recently emerged as a promising class of non-precious metal catalysts for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), which is a cornerstone in clean and environmentally benign hydrogen production. Although significant progress has been made in metal phosphide catalysts, the impact of the metal phosphide shape has not yet been explored. Herein, we investigated the shape-dependent electrocatalytic activity of nickel phosphide nanoparticles (Ni 2 P NPs) for the HER. Spherical Ni 2 P NPs mainly composed of the Ni 2 P(001) surface showed higher HER activity than rod-shaped Ni 2 P NPs with the Ni 2 P(210) surface in terms of overpotential, Tafel slope, and turnover frequency. The results imply that the Ni 2 P(001) surface would have preferential interactions with the adsorbent and a lower activation barrier for hydrogen adsorption, promoting the overall rate of HER. This study highlights the importance of morphology control in electrocatalysts to boost catalytic performances.

Electronic Redistribution: Construction and Modulation of Interface Engineering on CoP for Enhancing Overall Water Splitting

“…Remarkably, V‐CoP@ a‐CeO 2 still exhibited better catalytic activity than those of V‐CoP and CoP after normalization by ECSA (Figure S13a, Supporting Information), suggesting that synergy between the heterointerface and doped V increases catalytic active sites and intrinsic activity. Meanwhile, in Figure S13b (Supporting Information), the turnover frequency (TOF) value (minimum value) of V‐CoP@ a‐CeO 2 is higher than those of the reference electrocatalysts (CoP, V‐CoP), which also confirms its enhanced intrinsic activity 23. Stability is another crucial evaluation criterion for catalysts in practical application.…”

“…Meanwhile, in Figure S13b (Supporting Information), the turnover frequency (TOF) value (minimum value) of V-CoP@ a-CeO 2 is higher than those of the reference electrocatalysts (CoP, V-CoP), which also confirms its enhanced intrinsic activity. [23] Stability is another crucial evaluation criterion for catalysts in practical application. As shown in Figure 4f, overpotential of V-CoP@ a-CeO 2 for HER displayed little fluctuation during long stability test of 60 h at 20 mA cm −2 .…”

Active faceted nanoporous ruthenium for electrocatalytic hydrogen evolution

“…S15, see the ESI † for experimental details). [34][35][36][37][38] The current density normalized to the ECSA nally supported that np-Ru was superior to Ru/C in HER activity (Fig. S16 †).…”

Lattice Matched Carbide–Phosphide Composites with Superior Electrocatalytic Activity and Stability

“…The composites have higher activity and TOF at similar loading and overpotentials than previously described unsupported phosphides. 14,57 Evidently, the carbide-phosphide interaction is providing an enhancement in catalytic activity. Table 2.…”