Highly active nickel-cobalt/nanocarbon thin films as efficient water splitting electrodes

Developing low cost, highly active and stable electrocatalysts for both the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) using the same electrolyte has remained a major challenge. Herein, we report a novel and robust material comprised of nickel-cobalt nanoparticles coated on a porous nitrogen-doped carbon (NC) thin film synthesized via a two-step pulsed laser deposition technique. The optimized sample (Ni_0.5Co_0.5/NC) achieved the lowest overpotentials of 176 mV and 300 mV at a current density of 10 mA cm^-2 for HER and OER, respectively. The optimized OER activity might be attributed to the available metal oxide nanoparticles with an effective electronic structure configuration and enhanced mass/charge transport capability. At the same time, the porous nitrogen doped carbon incorporated with cobalt and nickel species can serve as an excellent HER catalyst. As a result, the newly developed electrocatalysts manifest high current densities and strong electrochemical stability in overall water splitting, outperforming most of the previously reported non-precious metal-based catalysts.

Nanostructured Bifunctional Redox Electrocatalysts

Electrocatalysts are playing a prominent role in the design of renewable energy devices. Benefiting from a long and prosperous history of synthesizing individual hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), oxygen evolution reaction (OER) and oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) electrocatalysts, the development of bifunctional ORR/OER or HER/OER electrocatalysts has recently emerged as a new research hotspot. In this review, a brief account of recent developments of bifunctional electrocatalysts for ORR/OER and HER/OER are introduced, aiming to provide insights into theoretical understanding of these reactions through analysis and comparison of various bifunctional electrocatalysts. The related reaction mechanisms and the associated activity descriptors for aforementioned reactions in the recent literatures are also presented. Different series of bifunctional electrocatalysts with much improved performances are discussed in detail and their design principles are outlined. Finally, the existing challenges and the future effort directions for enhancing the performance of bifunctional electrocatalysts are proposed.

Porous Nickel-Iron Selenide Nanosheets as Highly Efficient Electrocatalysts for Oxygen Evolution Reaction

Exploring non-noble and high-efficiency electrocatalysts is critical to large-scale industrial applications of electrochemical water splitting. Currently, nickel-based selenide materials are promising candidates for oxygen evolution reaction due to their low cost and excellent performance. In this work, we report the porous nickel-iron bimetallic selenide nanosheets ((Ni0.75Fe0.25)Se2) on carbon fiber cloth (CFC) by selenization of the ultrathin NiFe-based nanosheet precursor. The as-prepared three-dimensional oxygen evolution electrode exhibits a small overpotential of 255 mV at 35 mA cm(-2) and a low Tafel slope of 47.2 mV dec(-1) and keeps high stability during a 28 h measurement in alkaline solution. The outstanding catalytic performance and strong durability, in comparison to the advanced non-noble metal catalysts, are derived from the porous nanostructure fabrication, Fe incorporation, and selenization, which result in fast charge transportation and large electrochemically active surface area and enhance the release of oxygen bubbles from the electrode surface.

Efficient NiSe-Ni3Se2/Graphene Electrocatalyst in Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells: The Role of Hollow Hybrid Nanostructure

Hollow and hybrid nanomaterials are excellent electrocatalysts on account of their novel electrocatalytic properties compared with homogeneous solid nanostructures. In this report, NiSe-Ni3Se2 hybrid nanostructure with morphology of hollow hexagonal nanodisk was synthesized in situ on graphene. A series of NiSe-Ni3Se2/RGO with different phase constitutions and nanostructures were obtained by controlling the durations of solvothermal treatment. Because of their unique hollow and hybrid structure, NiSe-Ni3Se2/RGO hollow nanodisks exhibited higher electrocatalytic performance than NiSe/RGO and solid NiSe-Ni3Se2/RGO nanostructure for reducing I3(-) as counter cell (CE) of dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). Additionally, NiSe-Ni3Se2/RGO hollow nanodisks achieved much lower charge transfer resistance (Rct = 0.68 Ω) and higher power conversion efficiency (PCE) (7.87%) than those of Pt (Rct = 1.41 Ω, PCE = 7.28%).

Amorphous Ni-B alloy nanoparticle film on Ni foam: rapid alternately dipping deposition for efficient overall water splitting

It is highly attractive, but still remains challenging, to develop noble metal-free bifunctional electrocatalysts efficient for both the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER) in alkaline media. In this letter, we describe the rapid electroless deposition of amorphous Ni-B nanoparticle film on Ni foam (Ni-B/Ni foam) by alternative dipping of Ni foam into Ni precursor and reducing solutions. This Ni-B/Ni foam acts as an efficient and durable 3D catalytic electrode for water splitting, affording 100 mA cm(-2) at 360 mV overpotential for the OER and 20 mA cm(-2) at 125 mV overpotential for the HER in 1.0 M KOH, and its two-electrode electrolyzer demands a cell voltage of 1.69 V to afford 15 mA cm(-2) water-splitting current. Moreover, the catalyst loading can be easily tuned and this alternately dipping deposition technique works universally for other conductive substrates.

Nickel sulfide microsphere film on Ni foam as an efficient bifunctional electrocatalyst for overall water splitting

A NiS microsphere film was grown in situ on Ni foam (NiS/Ni foam) via a sulfurization reaction as an efficient bifunctional electrocatalyst, with superior activity and durability for both the HER and OER in basic media.

Ultrathin Ni–Ni3Se2 nanosheets on graphene as a high-performance counter electrode for dye-sensitized solar cells

Ultrathin nanostructures of metal chalcogenides have exhibited excellent electrocatalytic activity due to the high percentage of surface atoms and many exposed interior atoms.