Self-supported amorphous nanoporous nickel-cobalt phosphide catalyst for hydrogen evolution reaction

• Main Authors: Yao Pang, Shengli Zhu, Zhenduo Cui, Yanqin Liang, Zhaoyang Li, Shuilin Wu
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier 2021-04-01
• Series: Progress in Natural Science: Materials International
• Subjects: Hydrogen evolution reaction; Metal phosphide; Electrocatalyst; Dealloying; Amorphous alloys
• Online Access: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1002007121000010

Hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) through electrocatalysis using cost-efficient and long-term stable bimetallic phosphide as electrocatalyst holds a great promise for sustainable clean energy technologies. In this study, self-supported nanoporous Ni-Co-P (np-Ni-Co-P) catalyst with amorphous structure was synthesized by utilizing a facile electrochemical dealloying strategy. The results showed that due to the nanoporous structure, disorder atomic arrangement and alloying effect, the np-Ni-Co-P exhibited outstanding electrocatalytic performance for HER with low overpotential of 114 ​mV ​at a current density of 10 ​mA ​cm−2, small Tafel slope (57.3 ​mV dec−1) and good long-term durability in 1 ​M KOH. The synergetic effect of Ni and Co elements improves the intrinsic activity of the active sites. This research provides a direction for the exploration of bimetallic phosphides toward HER in the water splitting process.