Steel: The Resurrection of a Forgotten Water-Splitting Catalyst

Abstract

Because of the limited availability of fossil fuels, the splitting of water into oxygen and hydrogen upon exploitation of solar energy becomes an increasingly important clean energy production and storage technique. Despite its early use as a hydrogen-evolution catalyst in alkaline electrolysis, steel was until very recently supposed to be neither an active and stable water-splitting catalyst nor an interesting scientific subject at all. The authors of this contribution not only have shown in recent papers the potential of steel in terms of pure material properties but also have revealed the qualities of steel as a striking scientific topic. They herewith review what is known about the water-splitting properties of untreated and surfacemodified steel and try to determine a potential transfer to a broader application of modified steels in heterogeneous catalysis. The synopsis is basically limited to the usage of steel as a real electrocatalyst, thus presenting the catalytic active species itself.

Fabrication of NiC/MoC/NiMoO4 Heterostructured Nanorod Arrays as Stable Bifunctional Electrocatalysts for Efficient Overall Water Splitting

“…Molybdenum carbide and nickel carbide show high HER activity in both acidic and basic solutions, and NiO shows a good OER performance . Nickel‐containing steel has received a considerable renaissance as a water‐splitting catalyst, and proves that nickel‐based materials can be used in water splitting . Recently, Yu et al.…”

“…[39] Nickel-containing steel has received ac onsiderable renaissance as aw ater-splitting catalyst, and provest hat nickel-based materials can be used in water splitting. [40][41][42] Recently,Y ue tal. reported that embedded Mo 2 Ca nd nickel nanoparticles in porous carbon nanorods showedw ater splitting at ac urrent density of 10 mA cm À2 with ac ell voltage of 1.66 V. [13] The above studies stimulated us to think it was very possible and promising to integrate oxide-based OER and molybdenum carbide-based HER catalysts as heterostructures for overall water splitting.…”

From Bad Electrochemical Practices to an Environmental and Waste Reducing Approach for the Generation of Active Hydrogen Evolving Electrodes

“…However, scientists failed, likely owing to the absence of noble ingredients, in rendering steel at least as active towards the HER as Pt is. [14] In this study, electrochemical decoration of Ni42 stainless steel with platinum was realized in 0.05 m sulfuric acid (initially free of any dissolved Pt species) by using a threeelectrode set up consisting of a stainless steel Ni42 WE, a platinum CE, and a reversible hydrogen electrode (RHE) as reference electrode (Figure 1). Platinum was transferred from the CE to the WE through a procedure consisting of repeated cycling (100 cycles) in the potential (E) range 0.00 V vs. RHE and À0.40 V vs. RHE (E of the Pt CE was at most + 1.70 V vs. RHE), followed by a galvanostatic long-term polarization procedure ( Figure 2), resulting in Pt decorated Ni42 stainless steel henceforth referred to as "sample Ni42Pt".…”

“…Recently Schäfer and Chatenet showed that surfacemodified (stainless) steel can be used as water splitting electrodes. [14] The approaches shown by Chatenet et al [15] and Schäfer et al [16][17][18][19] and by some of other groups are taking advantage of the elements contained in steel like Fe, Ni and Co, known for their sophisticated properties (at least) towards the electrocatalytically-initiated OER. However, scientists failed, likely owing to the absence of noble ingredients, in rendering steel at least as active towards the HER as Pt is.…”

Free‐Sustaining Three‐Dimensional S235 Steel‐Based Porous Electrocatalyst for Highly Efficient and Durable Oxygen Evolution

“…[13] For example, Chatenet and coworkers [55] found that the OER activity of commerciallya vailable 316L stainlesss teel after long-termu sage as an oxygenevolvinge lectrode in aqueous lithium-air batteries increased An ovel oxygen evolution reaction (OER) catalyst( 3D S235-P steel) based on as teel S235 substrate was successfully prepared by facile one-step surface modification. [13] For example, Chatenet and coworkers [55] found that the OER activity of commerciallya vailable 316L stainlesss teel after long-termu sage as an oxygenevolvinge lectrode in aqueous lithium-air batteries increased An ovel oxygen evolution reaction (OER) catalyst( 3D S235-P steel) based on as teel S235 substrate was successfully prepared by facile one-step surface modification.…”