Nickel-Based Electrocatalysts for Energy-Related Applications: Oxygen Reduction, Oxygen Evolution, and Hydrogen Evolution Reactions

Binder-Free 3D Integrated Ni@Ni3Pt Air Electrode for Zn-Air Batteries

Developing an air electrode with high efficiency and stable performance is essential to improve the energy conversion efficiency and lifetime of zinc-air battery. Herein, Ni3Pt alloy is deposited on 3D nickel foam by a pulsed laser deposition method, working as a stable binder-free air electrode for rechargeable zinc-air batteries. The polycrystalline Ni3Pt alloy possesses high oxygen-conversion catalytic activity, which is highly desirable for the charge and discharge process in zinc-air battery. Meanwhile, this sample technique constructs an integrated and stable electrode structure, which not only has a 3D architecture of high conductivity and porosity but also produces a uniform Ni3Pt strongly adhering to the substrate, favoring rapid gas and electrolyte diffusion throughout the whole energy conversion process. Employed as an air electrode in zinc-air batteries, it exhibits a small charge and discharge gap of below 0.62 V at 10 mA cm-2, with long cycle life of 478 cycles under 10 min per cycle. Furthermore, benefitting from the structural advantages, a flexible device exhibits similar electrochemical performance even under the bending state. The high performance resulting from this type of integrated electrode in this work paves the way of a promising technique to fabricate air electrodes for zinc-air batteries.

Bonding state synergy of the NiF2/Ni2P hybrid with the co-existence of covalent and ionic bonds and the application of this hybrid as a robust catalyst for the energy-relevant electrooxidation of water and urea

Among the energy-relevant electrochemical reactions, the electrochemical water and urea oxidation reactions are very significant for solving the increasing energy crisis and environmental pollution. Herein, the NiF2/Ni2P hybrid catalyst, in which covalent and ionic bonds co-existed, was found to be a very active catalyst for these electrochemical reactions occuring during the electrolysis of water. The bonding states of the covalent and ionic bonds were verified by the crystal structure and surface chemical state revealed by spectral analysis. As a bifunctional catalyst for the electrooxidation of water and urea, the NiF2/Ni2P hybrid structure demonstrated higher catalytic activity, kinetics and stability in the catalytic reaction than the individual components NiF2 and Ni2P under the same conditions. Specifically, an overpotential as low as 283 mV could drive the benchmark current density of 10 mA cm-2 for the oxygen evolution reaction, significantly lower than the overpotential required for the NiF2 (393 mV) and Ni2P materials (342 mV); the maximum current density for urea electrooxidation could reach 157.35 mA cm-2 at 1.53 V, which was much higher than those of NiF2 (23.55 mA cm-2) and Ni2P (102.72 mA cm-2). The catalytic performance also outperformed those of the recently reported similar advanced catalysts, and the high performance could be attributed to the highly exposed active sites, rough surface area, excellent charge transfer ability, and especially, the synergistic effects between the covalent and ionic bonds in the catalyst system. Using a commercial Pt/C catalyst as a cathode, the cell potential for urea-assisted water electrolysis could be reduced to 1.5 V to obtain the current density of nearly 40 mA cm-2 in a two-electrode system (Pt/C||NiF2/Ni2P), about 300 mV less than that required for water electrolysis in the general alkaline electrolyte. The current study demonstrates the significance of bonding state synergy in an advanced catalyst for water electrolysis and sheds some light on catalyst development in energy chemistry.

Hierarchical Ni-Co-O-C-P hollow tetragonal microtubes grown on Ni foam for efficient overall water splitting in alkaline media

Exploring low-cost and highly efficient non-noble bifunctional electrocatalysts with high performances for both the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER) is essential for large-scale sustainable energy systems. Herein, the Ni-Co-O-C-P hollow tetragonal microtubes grown on 3D Ni foam (Ni-Co-O-C-P/NF) was synthesized via a one-step solvothermal method and followed by a simple carbon coating and in situ phosphorization treatment. Benefiting from the unique open and hierarchical nano-architectures, the as prepared Ni-Co-O-C-P/NF presents a high activity and durability for both the HER and OER in alkaline media. The overall-water-splitting reaction requires a low cell voltage (1.54 V @ 10 mA cm-2) in 1 M KOH when Ni-Co-O-C-P/NF is used as both the anode and cathode. The highly flexible structure can provide a large amount of exposed active sites and shorten the mass transport distance. Furthermore, bimetallic phosphides also favor the electrocatalysis due to the higher electronic conductivity and the synergetic effect. This work demonstrated a promising bifunctional electrocatalyst for water electrolysis in alkaline media with potential in future applications.

P-Doped Iron-Nickel Sulfide Nanosheet Arrays for Highly Efficient Overall Water Splitting

Iron-nickel sulfide ((Ni,Fe)₃S₂) is one of the most promising bifunctional electrocatalysts for both the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER) in alkaline media because of their metallic conductivity and low cost. However, the reported HER activity of (Ni,Fe)₃S₂ is still unsatisfactory. Herein, three-dimensional self-supported phosphorus-doped (Ni,Fe)₃S₂ nanosheet arrays on Ni foam (P-(Ni,Fe)₃S₂/NF) are synthesized by a simple one-step simultaneous phosphorization and sulfuration route, which exhibits dramatically enhanced HER activity as well as drives remarkable OER activity. The incorporation of P significantly optimized the hydrogen/water absorption free energy (ΔG_H*/ΔG_H2O*), enhanced electrical conductivity, and increased electrochemical surface area. Accordingly, the optimal P-(Ni,Fe)₃S₂/NF exhibits relatively low overpotentials of 98 and 196 mV at 10 mA cm^-2 for HER and OER in 1 M KOH, respectively. Furthermore, an alkaline electrolyzer comprising the P-(Ni,Fe)₃S₂/NF electrodes needs a very low cell voltage of 1.54 V at 10 mA cm^-2 and exhibits long-term stability and outperforms most other state-of-the-art electrocatalysts. The reported electrocatalyst activation approach by anion doping can be adapted for other transition-metal chalcogenides for water electrolysis, offering great promise for future applications.

An advanced FeCoNi nitro-sulfide hierarchical structure from deep eutectic solvents for enhanced oxygen evolution reaction

A tri-metal material system of FeCoNi-based nitro-sulfide (FeCoNi-NS) hierarchical structure has been successfully synthesized via a deep eutectic solvent annealing process. The as-prepared FeCoNi-NS possesses interesting N,S-binary heteroatoms evenly doped with Fe, Co, and Ni. By taking advantage of the unique structure including multi-metal sites, high BET area and porous structures, the as-prepared FeCoNi-NS exhibited excellent oxygen evolution reaction (OER) performance, achieving a current density of 10 mA cm^-2 at an overpotential of 251 mV and a low Tafel slope of 58 mV dec^-1 in 1 M KOH. Furthermore, FeCoNi-NS also demonstrated highly efficient mass/charge transportation, long-term stability with 2% deactivation after ten hours continuous operation and high faradaic efficiency of 98%. Such a facile synthetic strategy is applicable to the fabrication of more mutil-metal hierarchical structures for energy conversion and storage.

Mono-/Multinuclear Water Oxidation Catalysts

Water splitting, in which water molecules can be transformed into hydrogen and oxygen, is an appealing energy conversion and transformation strategy to address the environmental and energy crisis. The oxygen evolution reaction (OER) is dynamically slow, which limits energy conversion efficiency during the water-splitting process and requires high-efficiency water oxidation catalysts (WOCs) to overcome the OER energy barrier. It is generally accepted that multinuclear WOCs possess superior OER performances, as demonstrated by the CaMn₄ O₅ cluster in photosystem II (PSII), which can catalyze the OER efficiently with a very low overpotential. Inspired by the CaMn₄ O₅ cluster in PSII, some multinuclear WOCs were synthesized that could catalyze water oxidation. In addition, some mononuclear molecular WOCs also show high water oxidation activity. However, it cannot be excluded that the high activity arises from the formation of dimeric species. Recently, some mononuclear heterogeneous WOCs showed a high water oxidation activity, which testified that mononuclear active sites with suitable coordination surroundings could also catalyze water oxidation efficiently. This Review focuses on recent progress in the development of mono-/multinuclear homo- and heterogeneous catalysts for water oxidation. The active sites and possible catalytic mechanisms for water oxidation on the mono-/multinuclear WOCs are provided.

A Pt-free graphenaceous composite as an electro-catalyst for efficient oxygen reduction reaction

Use of Pt-based electro-catalysts for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) is a major hindrance in large-scale application of proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs). Hence, new, cost-effective and high performance electro-catalysts are required for the commercial success of PEMFCs. In this work, a Pt-free magnesium oxide (MgO) decorated multi-layered reduced graphene oxide (MLGO) composite is tested as an electro-catalyst for the ORR. The ORR activity of MgO/MLGO in terms of diffusion-controlled current density is found to be superior (6.63 mA per cm2-geo) than that of in-house prepared Pt/rGO (5.96 mA per cm2-geo) and commercial Pt/C (5.02 mA per cm2-geo). The applicability of less expensive MgO/MLGO not only provides a new electro-catalyst but also provides a new direction in exploring metal oxide-based electro-catalysts for the ORR.

Atomic Layer Deposition of Nickel Using a Heteroleptic Ni Precursor with NH3 and Selective Deposition on Defects of Graphene

Atomic layer deposition (ALD) of Ni was demonstrated by introducing a novel oxygen-free heteroleptic Ni precursor, (η³-cyclohexenyl)(η⁵-cyclopentadienyl)nickel(II) [Ni(Chex)(Cp)]. For this process, non-oxygen-containing reactants (NH₃ and H₂ molecules) were used within a deposition temperature range of 320-340 °C. Typical ALD growth behavior was confirmed at 340 °C with a self-limiting growth rate of 1.1 Å/cycle. Furthermore, a postannealing process was carried out in a H₂ ambient environment to improve the quality of the as-deposited Ni film. As a result, a high-quality Ni film with a substantially low resistivity (44.9 μΩcm) was obtained, owing to the high purity and excellent crystallinity. Finally, this Ni ALD process was also performed on a graphene surface. Selective deposition of Ni on defects of graphene was confirmed by transmission electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy analyses with a low growth rate (∼0.27 Å/cycle). This unique method can be further used to fabricate two-dimensional functional materials for several potential applications.

Hierarchical Nanoassembly of MoS2/Co9S8/Ni3S2/Ni as a Highly Efficient Electrocatalyst for Overall Water Splitting in a Wide pH Range

The design of low-cost yet high-efficiency electrocatalysts for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER) over a wide pH range is highly challenging. We now report a hierarchical co-assembly of interacting MoS₂ and Co₉S₈ nanosheets attached on Ni₃S₂ nanorod arrays which are supported on nickel foam (NF). This tiered structure endows high performance toward HER and OER over a very broad pH range. By adjusting the molar ratio of the Co:Mo precursors, we have created CoMoNiS-NF- xy composites ( x: y means Co:Mo molar ratios ranging from 5:1 to 1:3) with controllable morphology and composition. The three-dimensional composites have an abundance of active sites capable of universal pH catalytic HER and OER activity. The CoMoNiS-NF-31 demonstrates the best electrocatalytic activity, giving ultralow overpotentials (113, 103, and 117 mV for HER and 166, 228, and 405 mV for OER) to achieve a current density of 10 mA cm^-2 in alkaline, acidic, and neutral electrolytes, respectively. It also shows a remarkable balance between electrocatalytic activity and stability. Based on the distinguished catalytic performance of CoMoNiS-NF-31 toward HER and OER, we demonstrate a two-electrode electrolyzer performing water electrolysis over a wide pH range, with low cell voltages of 1.54, 1.45, and 1.80 V at 10 mA cm^-2 in alkaline, acidic, and neutral media, respectively. First-principles calculations suggest that the high OER activity arises from electron transfer from Co₉S₈ to MoS₂ at the interface, which alters the binding energies of adsorbed species and decreases overpotentials. Our results demonstrate that hierarchical metal sulfides can serve as highly efficient all-pH (pH = 0-14) electrocatalysts for overall water splitting.

A Freestanding Single-Wall Carbon Nanotube Film Decorated with N-Doped Carbon-Encapsulated Ni Nanoparticles as a Bifunctional Electrocatalyst for Overall Water Splitting

Noble-metal free, cost-effective, and highly stable catalysts with efficient activity for both the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) have attracted tremendous research interest in recent years. Here, a flexible, self-standing hybrid film comprising a N-doped single-wall carbon nanotube (SWCNT) network on which are anchored Ni nanoparticles encapsulated by a monolayer of N-doped carbon (NCNi) is reported. The films are prepared by floating catalyst chemical vapor deposition followed by NH3 treatment. The material obtained at optimum conditions shows excellent bifunctional electrocatalytic activity in alkaline media with low overpotentials of 190 and 270 mV for HER and OER, respectively, to reach a current density of 10 mA cm-2. A current density of 10 mA cm-2 at 1.57 V is achieved when this freestanding and binder-free rod-shaped NCNi/SWCNT assembly is used as cathode and anode in 1 m KOH solution for overall water splitting, presenting one of the best values reported to date.

Engineering Ternary Copper-Cobalt Sulfide Nanosheets as High-performance Electrocatalysts toward Oxygen Evolution Reaction

The rational design and development of the low-cost and effective electrocatalysts toward oxygen evolution reaction (OER) are essential in the storage and conversion of clean and renewable energy sources. Herein, a ternary copper-cobalt sulfide nanosheets electrocatalysts (denoted as CuCoS/CC) for electrochemical water oxidation has been synthesized on carbon cloth (CC) via the sulfuration of CuCo-based precursors. The obtained CuCoS/CC reveals excellent electrocatalytic performance toward OER in 1.0 M KOH. It exhibits a particularly low overpotential of 276 mV at current density of 10 mA cm−2, and a small Tafel slope (58 mV decade−1), which is superior to the current commercialized noble-metal electrocatalysts, such as IrO2. Benefiting from the synergistic effect of Cu and Co atoms and sulfidation, electrons transport and ions diffusion are significantly enhanced with the increase of active sites, thus the kinetic process of OER reaction is boosted. Our studies will serve as guidelines in the innovative design of non-noble metal electrocatalysts and their application in electrochemical water splitting

Atomic-Layer-Deposited MoN x Thin Films on Three-Dimensional Ni Foam as Efficient Catalysts for the Electrochemical Hydrogen Evolution Reaction

Future realization of a hydrogen-based economy requires a high-surface-area, low-cost, and robust electrocatalyst for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). In this study, the MoN _x thin layer is synthesized on to a high-surface-area three-dimensional (3D) nickel foam (NF) substrate using atomic layer deposition (ALD) for HER catalysis. MoN _x is grown on NF by the sequential exposure of Mo(CO)₆ and NH₃ at 225 °C. The thickness of the thin film is controlled by varying the number of ALD cycles to maximize the HER performance of the MoN _x/NF composite catalyst. The scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) images of MoN _x/NF highlight that ALD facilitates uniform and conformal coating. TEM analysis highlights that the MoN _x film is predominantly amorphous with the nanocrystalline MoN grains (4 nm) dispersed throughout it. Moreover, the high-resolution (HR)-TEM analysis shows a rough surface of the MoN _x film with an overall composition of Mo_0.59N_0.41. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy depth-profile analysis reveals that oxygen contamination is concentrated at the surface because of surface oxidation of the MoN _x film under ambient conditions. The HER activity of MoN _x is evaluated under acidic (0.5 M H₂SO₄) and alkaline (0.1 M KOH) conditions. In an acidic electrolyte, the sample prepared with 700 ALD cycles exhibits significant HER activity and a low overpotential (η) of 148 mV at 10 mA cm^-2. Under an alkaline condition, it achieves 10 mA cm^-2 with η of 125 mV for MoN _x/NF (700 cycles). In both electrolytes, the MoN _x thin film exhibits enhanced activity and stability because of the uniform and conformal coating on NF. Thus, this study facilitates the development of a large-area 3D freestanding catalyst for efficient electrochemical water-splitting, which may have commercial applicability.

Regulating Phase Conversion from Ni3 Se2 into NiSe in a Bifunctional Electrocatalyst for Overall Water-Splitting Enhancement

Phase engineering has been demonstrated as an efficient method for the enhancement of catalytic activity. This study concerns the phase and morphology modulation of Ni₃ Se₂ /NiSe nanorod arrays through a hydrothermal process. Partial phase conversion can effectively enhance the electrical conductivity and yield more active sites through atom rearrangement during phase transformation. Quite low optimal overpotentials of 166 mV for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and 370 mV for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) are obtained in a sample containing 32.4 % of NiSe phase and 67.6 % of Ni₃ Se₂ phase. The performance is superior to the samples with only one phase. Furthermore, a water electrolyzer was assembled by using two symmetrical NiSe/Ni foam electrodes as the anode and cathode, which can deliver 10 mA cm^-2 at a low voltage of 1.61 V. More significantly, the water electrolyzer can be operated at 10 mA cm^-2 over 10 h without noticeable degradation, showing extraordinary operational stability. This phase conversion control strategy provides a new way to improve the catalytic activity of NiSe and may have potential use in the design of other selenide electrocatalysts.

Sr, Fe Co-doped Perovskite Oxides With High Performance for Oxygen Evolution Reaction

Developing efficient and earth-abundant electrocatalysts for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) is still a big challenge. Here, perovskite La_0.4Sr_0.6Ni_0.5Fe_0.5O₃ nanoparticles were rationally designed and synthesized by the sol-gel method with an average size around 25 nm, and it has a remarkable intrinsically activity and stability in 1 M KOH solution. Compared with other perovskite (LaNiO₃, LaFeO₃, and LaNi_0.5Fe_0.5O₃) catalysts, La_0.4Sr_0.6Ni_0.5Fe_0.5O₃ exhibits superior OER performance, smaller tafel slope and lower overpotential. The high electrochemical performance of La_0.4Sr_0.6Ni_0.5Fe_0.5O₃ is attributed to its optimized e_g filling (~1.2), as well as the excellent conductivity. This study demonstrates co-doping process is an effective way for increasing the intrinsic catalytic activity of the perovskite.

Insight into the Superior Electrocatalytic Performance of a Ternary Nickel Iron Poly-Phosphide Nanosheet Array: An X-ray Absorption Study

Although ternary components and doping with foreign atoms have been widely studied to enhance the electrocatalytic performance of transition metal phosphides, the underlying mechanism is not clear. Here, we fabricated ternary Ni-Fe-P nanosheets on carbon fiber paper as efficient electrodes and studied the local atomic and electronic structure alteration through X-ray absorption spectroscopy. The optimized ternary Ni-Fe-P nanosheet electrode exhibited superior hydrogen evolution activity and stability in 0.5 M H₂SO₄ with a low overpotential of 56 mV at 10 mA cm^-2. X-ray absorption spectroscopy studies revealed that with the Fe ion incorporation into the system, the Ni-P bonds elongated and few electrons transferred from Ni to P which resulted in a reduced oxidation state of Ni and reduced the interaction between the hydrogen atom and the catalyst surface. Our work not only demonstrates the future potential of high-performance electrocatalysts based on ternary Ni-Fe-P but also offers a promising method to explore the unique synergistic effect in ternary compounds.

Synthesis of Ni4.5Fe4.5S8/Ni3S2 film on Ni3Fe alloy foam as an excellent electrocatalyst for the oxygen evolution reaction

Directly synthesizing bicomponent electrocatalysts in the nanostructured form from bulk alloy foam has many potential advantages: robust stability, synergistic effects and fast electron transfer. Here, Ni4.5Fe4.5S8/Ni3S2 film with micrometer thickness on bulk substrate was synthesized by a simple one-step hydrothermally assisted sulfurization of Ni3Fe alloy foam for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) in basic media. Benefiting from the synergetic effect of the bicomponent, reduced interfacial resistance between electrocatalyst and metal substrate, and more exposed catalytic sites on the microstructured film, the as-prepared electrocatalyst (Ni4.5Fe4.5S8/Ni3S2‖Ni3Fe) behaves as a highly efficient and robust oxygen evolution electrode with felicitous current density in alkaline electrolytes (1 M KOH). It requires an overpotential of only 264 mV to drive 100 mA cm-2 with its catalytic activity being maintained for at least 20 h in 1 M KOH. In the near future, this kind of synthesis strategy can be easily extended to investigate many electrocatalysts derived from 3D alloyed foam with various ratios of the different components, opening new avenue for understanding the relationship between material properties and electrochemical performance.

Atomic layer deposition of Co3O4 nanocrystals on N-doped electrospun carbon nanofibers for oxygen reduction and oxygen evolution reactions

The oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER) are considered as the two crucial reactions in key renewable-energy technologies including fuel cells and water splitting. Despite promising research progress in the preparation of various non-noble metal based electrocatalysts, it is still highly challenging but desirable to develop novel fabrication strategies to synthesize highly active and cost-effective ORR/OER bifunctional electrocatalysts in a precisely controlled manner. Herein, we report atomic layer deposition (ALD) of highly monodisperse Co3O4 nanocrystals of different sizes on N-doped electrospun carbon nanofibers (nCNFs) as high performance bifunctional catalysts (Co@nCNFs) for the ORR and OER. Co@nCNFs (with an average Co3O4 particle size of ∼3 nm) show high ORR performance exhibiting an onset potential of 0.87 V with a low Tafel slope of 119 mV dec-1 approaching that of commercial Pt/C. Similarly, the Co@nCNF electrocatalyst showed remarkable catalytic activity in the OER. The turnover frequency (TOF) value determined at an overpotential of 550 mV for the Co@nCNFs is ∼0.14 s-1 which is ca. 3 and ca. 15-fold higher than those of bulk Co (∼0.05 s-1) and the standard state-of-the-art IrO x (0.0089 s-1) catalyst, respectively. This work will open new possibilities for fabrication of inexpensive non-noble metal materials in highly controlled manner for applications as bifunctional ORR/OER electrocatalysis.

Integrating Catalysis of Methane Decomposition and Electrocatalytic Hydrogen Evolution with Ni/CeO2 for Improved Hydrogen Production Efficiency

Ni/CeO₂ enables either methane decomposition or water electrolysis for pure hydrogen production. Ni/CeO₂ , prepared by a sol-gel method with only one heat treatment step, was used to catalyze methane decomposition for the generation of H₂ . The solid byproduct, Ni/CeO₂ /carbon nanotube (CNT), was further employed as an electrocatalyst in the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) for H₂ production. The Ni/CeO₂ catalyst exhibits excellent activity for methane decomposition because CeO₂ prevents carbon encapsulation of Ni nanoparticles during the preparation process and forms a special metal-support interface with Ni. The derived CNTs act as antenna to improve conductivity and promote the dispersion of agglomerated Ni/CeO₂ . In addition, they provide H₂ diffusion paths and prevent Ni/CeO₂ from peeling off the HER electrode. Although long-term methane decomposition reduces the HER activity of Ni/CeO₂ /CNTs (owing to degradation of the delicate Ni/CeO₂ interface), the tunable nature of the synthesis makes this an attractive sustainable approach to synthesize future high-performance materials.

Big to Small: Ultrafine Mo2 C Particles Derived from Giant Polyoxomolybdate Clusters for Hydrogen Evolution Reaction

Due to its electronic structure, similar to platinum, molybdenum carbides (Mo₂ C) hold great promise as a cost-effective catalyst platform. However, the realization of high-performance Mo₂ C catalysts is still limited because controlling their particle size and catalytic activity is challenging with current synthesis methods. Here, the synthesis of ultrafine β-Mo₂ C nanoparticles with narrow size distribution (2.5 ± 0.7 nm) and high mass loading (up to 27.5 wt%) on graphene substrate using a giant Mo-based polyoxomolybdate cluster, Mo₁₃₂ ((NH₄ )₄₂ [Mo₁₃₂ O₃₇₂ (CH₃ COO)₃₀ (H₂ O)₇₂ ]·10CH₃ COONH₄ ·300H₂ O) is demonstrated. Moreover, a nitrogen-containing polymeric binder (polyethyleneimine) is used to create MoN bonds between Mo₂ C nanoparticles and nitrogen-doped graphene layers, which significantly enhance the catalytic activity of Mo₂ C for the hydrogen evolution reaction, as is revealed by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and density functional theory calculations. The optimal Mo₂ C catalyst shows a large exchange current density of 1.19 mA cm^-2 , a high turnover frequency of 0.70 s^-1 as well as excellent durability. The demonstrated new strategy opens up the possibility of developing practical platinum substitutes based on Mo₂ C for various catalytic applications.

The identification of active N species in N-doped carbon carriers that improve the activity of Fe electrocatalysts towards the oxygen evolution reaction

Nitrogen-doped carbon nanomaterials have become some of the most effective carriers for transition metal-based electrocatalysts towards the oxygen evolution reaction. However, the specific active nitrogen species in nitrogen-doped carriers remains unclear up to now. To identify the active nitrogen species, herein, we prepare nitrogen-doped carbon nanospheres containing different types of nitrogen species and a small amount of Fe atoms. Electrochemical tests demonstrate that the Fe/nitrogen-doped carbon nanospheres with more graphitic nitrogen exhibit much higher activity for the oxygen evolution reaction than those with more pyridinic nitrogens and pyrrolic nitrogens in alkaline media, revealing that the graphitic nitrogen is the active species that greatly improves the activity of Fe catalysts. Density functional theory calculations further reveal that the graphitic nitrogen enhances the activity and stability of Fe-based catalysts mainly through increasing the adsorption energy, charge and spin densities of the Fe atoms loaded around it. These findings provide a brand-new perspective for rationally designing more effective transition metal-based electrocatalysts for the oxygen evolution reaction through controlling the active graphitic nitrogen distribution in carbon carriers.

Exceptional Performance of Hierarchical Ni-Fe (hydr)oxide@NiCu Electrocatalysts for Water Splitting

Developing low-cost bifunctional electrocatalysts with superior activity for both the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) and hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) is of great importance for the widespread application of the water splitting technique. In this work, using earth-abundant transition metals (i.e., nickel, iron, and copper), 3D hierarchical nanoarchitectures, consisting of ultrathin Ni-Fe layered-double-hydroxide (Ni-Fe LDH) nanosheets or porous Ni-Fe oxides (NiFeO_x ) assembled to a metallic NiCu alloy, are delicately constructed. In alkaline solution, the as-prepared Ni-Fe LDH@NiCu possesses outstanding OER activity, achieving a current density of 10 mA cm^-2 at an overpotential of 218 mV, which is smaller than that of RuO₂ catalyst (249 mV). In contrast, the resulting NiFeO_x @NiCu exhibits better HER activity, yielding a current density of 10 mA cm^-2 at an overpotential of 66 mV, which is slightly higher than that of Pt catalyst (53 mV) but superior to all other transition metal (hydr)oxide-based electrocatalysts. The remarkable activity of the Ni-Fe LDH@NiCu and NiFeO_x @NiCu is further demonstrated by a 1.5 V solar-panel-powered electrolyzer, resulting in current densities of 10 and 50 mA cm^-2 at overpotentials of 293 and 506 mV, respectively. Such performance renders the as-prepared materials as the best bifunctional electrocatalysts so far.

Theoretical predication of the high hydrogen evolution catalytic activity for the cubic and tetragonal SnP systems

Both the cubic and tetragonal SnP systems, with a layered structure similar to phosphorene, can exhibit a considerably high HER catalytic activity over a wide range of hydrogen coverage.

A perovskite oxide with a tunable pore-size derived from a general salt-template strategy as a highly efficient electrocatalyst for the oxygen evolution reaction

A porous perovskite oxide is fabricated by an inorganic salt-template strategy, which exhibits remarkable performance for the oxygen evolution reaction.

A two-dimensional Ni(ii) coordination polymer based on a 3,5-bis(1′,2′,4′-triazol-1′-yl)pyridine ligand for water electro-oxidation

A two-dimensional Ni(ii) coordination polymer based on a novel 3,5-bis(1′,2′,4′-triazol-1′-yl)pyridine rigid ligand was proposed as a novel and efficient molecular catalyst for water oxidation.

Insights into coated NiCrAl open-cell foams for the catalytic partial oxidation of CH4

NiCrAl foams coated by a catalytic layer are stable under reaction conditions and decrease the hot spots, making them an alternative to FeCrAl materials.

MnCo2O4 nanoparticles supported on nitrogen and sulfur co-doped mesoporous carbon spheres as efficient electrocatalysts for oxygen catalytic reactions

The development of efficient bifunctional electrocatalysts for the oxygen reduction and oxygen evolution reactions is essential to address the challenge of sluggish reaction kinetics.

Bimetallic NiCo/CNF encapsulated in a N-doped carbon shell as an electrocatalyst for Zn–air batteries and water splitting

Bimetallic NiCo/CNF encapsulated in a N-doped carbon shell (NiCo/CNF@NC) catalyst for application in a Zn–air battery and water splitting has been reported in this work.

3D self-supported Ni(PO3)2-MoO3 nanorods anchored on nickel foam for highly efficient overall water splitting

Electrolyzing water as a sustainable energy source is a promising and appealing method to resolve the environmental crisis. Developing efficient and stable bifunctional electrocatalysts for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) is crucial and challenging in the overall water splitting process. Herein, we report the synthesis of Ni(PO₃)₂-MoO₃ nanorods anchored on nickel foam (Ni(PO₃)₂-MoO₃/NF) within a two-step strategy and their application as a bifunctional water splitting electrocatalyst. The results show that the optimal Ni(PO₃)₂-MoO₃/NF electrodes exhibit superior catalytic activity with robust durability and ultralow overpotentials of 86 mV for HER and 234 mV for OER to achieve 10 mA cm^-2 (η₁₀) in alkaline solution. The favorable performance of the obtained catalyst is attributed mainly to the synergetic effect between Ni(PO₃)₂ and MoO₃, as well as the self-supporting porous conductive substrate. As a result, the integrated Ni(PO₃)₂-MoO₃/NF electrodes deliver η₁₀ at a small potential of 1.47 V for overall water splitting, highlighting a promising application as a bifunctional electrocatalyst.

Highly Active Bifunctional Electrocatalysts for Oxygen Evolution and Reduction in Zn-Air Batteries

To realize the full performance of Zn-air batteries, the co-presence of a highly efficient oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) and an oxygen evolution reaction (OER) in the system is critical. Although copper and nickel are known to be bifunctional catalysts for ORR and OER, sluggish reactions as a result of the exceptionally strong O=O bond on the metal surface make it difficult to achieve high system efficiency. In this study, a metal carbide layer (CuC_x and NiC_x ) on dendritic copper and nickel is fabricated by a facile electrodeposition process to provide efficient catalytic active sites with moderate binding energy for easy electron transfer in both the OER and the ORR. The dendritic structure provides an enriched catalytic surface and the protective metal carbide layer offers an appropriate O binding energy and durability of Zn-air batteries. Owing to the presence of the stable metal carbide surface on the dendritic metal, the CuC_x /Cu and NiC_x /Ni catalysts exhibited well-defined limiting current densities of -5.19 and -5.11 mA cm^-2 , respectively, and improved ORR and OER activities with lower polarization than the corresponding metal catalysts. Density functional theory revealed a 0.74 eV decrease in the overpotential of NiC_x /Ni-catalyzed OER reactions compared with Ni-catalyzed OER reactions. The experimental and theoretical results prove that carbide layers on dendritic metal surfaces can greatly improve the activity of ORR and OER bifunctional electrocatalysts for Zn-air batteries.

A New Class of Zn1 -x Fex -Oxyselenide and Zn1- x Fex -LDH Nanostructured Material with Remarkable Bifunctional Oxygen and Hydrogen Evolution Electrocatalytic Activities for Overall Water Splitting

The scalable and cost-effective H₂ fuel production via electrolysis demands an efficient earth-abundant oxygen and hydrogen evolution reaction (OER, and HER, respectively) catalysts. In this work, for the first time, the synthesis of a sheet-like Zn_{1- x} Fe_x -oxyselenide and Zn_{1- x} Fe_x -LDH on Ni-foam is reported. The hydrothermally synthesized Zn_{1- x} Fe_x -LDH/Ni-foam is successfully converted into Zn_{1- x} Fe_x -oxyselenide/Ni-foam through an ethylene glycol-assisted solvothermal method. The anionic regulation of electrocatalysts modulates the electronic properties, and thereby augments the electrocatalytic activities. The as-prepared Zn_{1- x} Fe_x -LDH/Ni-foam shows very low OER and HER overpotentials of 263 mV at a current density of 20 mA cm^-2 and 221 mV at 10 mA cm^-2 , respectively. Interestingly, this OER overpotential is decreased to 256 mV after selenization and the HER overpotential of Zn_{1- x} Fe_x -oxyselenide/Ni-foam is decreased from 238 to 202 mV at 10 mA cm^-2 after a stability test. Thus, the Zn_{1- x} Fe_x -oxyselenide/Ni-foam shows superior bifunctional catalytic activities and excellent durability at a very high current density of 50 mA cm^-2 . More importantly, when the Zn_{1- x} Fe_x -oxyselenide/Ni-foam is used as the anode and cathode in an electrolyzer for overall water splitting, Zn_{1- x} Fe_x -oxyselenide/Ni-foam(+)ǁZn_{1- x} Fe_x -oxyselenide/Ni-foam(-) shows an appealing potential of 1.62 V at 10 mA cm^-2 . The anionic doping/substitution methodology is new and serves as an effective strategy to develop highly efficient bifunctional electrocatalysts.