Article Title

Sponge-like nickel phosphide–carbon nanotube hybrid electrodes for efficient hydrogen evolution over a wide pH range

Authors

Shuying Wang, School of Physical Engineering and Laboratory of Materials Physics, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450052, China State Key Laboratory of New Ceramics and Fine Processing, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
Li Zhang, State Key Laboratory of New Ceramics and Fine Processing, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
Xiao Li, State Key Laboratory of New Ceramics and Fine Processing, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
Changli Li, State Key Laboratory of New Ceramics and Fine Processing, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
Rujing Zhang, State Key Laboratory of New Ceramics and Fine Processing, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
Yingjiu Zhang, School of Physical Engineering and Laboratory of Materials Physics, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450052, China
Hongwei Zhu, State Key Laboratory of New Ceramics and Fine Processing, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China

Keywords

carbon nanotubes, nickel phosphide, electrodeposition, hydrogen evolution reaction, electrocatalyst, water splitting

Abstract

ABSTRACT Cost-effective hydrogen production via electrolysis of water requires efficient and durable earth-abundant catalysts for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) over a wide pH range. Herein, we report sponge-like nickel phosphide– carbon nanotube (NixP/CNT) hybrid electrodes that were prepared by facile cyclic voltammetric deposition of amorphous NixP catalysts onto the threedimensional (3D) porous CNT support. These compounds exhibit superior catalytic activity for sustained hydrogen evolution in acidic, neutral, and basic media. In particular, the NixP/CNT electrodes generate cathodic currents of 10 and 100 mA·cm−2 at overpotentials of 105 and 226 mV, respectively, in a 1 M phosphate buffer solution (pH = 6.5) with a Tafel slope of 100 mV·dec−1; the currents were stable for over 110 h without obvious decay. Our results suggest that the 3D porous CNT electrode supports could serve as a general platform for earth-abundant HER catalysts for the development of highly efficient electrodes for hydrogen production.

Graphical Abstract

DOI

https://doi.org/10.1007/s12274-016-1301-9

Publisher

Tsinghua University Press

Recommended Citation

Shuying Wang,Li Zhang,Xiao Li,Changli Li,Rujing Zhang,Yingjiu Zhang,Hongwei Zhu, Sponge-like nickel phosphide–carbon nanotube hybrid electrodes for efficient hydrogen evolution over a wide pH range. NanoRes.2017, 10(2): 415–425