Bamboo-like nitrogen-doped carbon nanotubes encapsulated with NiFeP nanoparticles and their efficient catalysis in the oxygen evolution reaction

Hollow N-doped carbon nano-mushroom encapsulated hybrid Ni3S2/Fe5Ni4S8 particle anchored to the inner wall of porous wood carbon for efficient oxygen evolution electrocatalysis

Structural design and morphology engineering are considered significant strategies to boost the catalytic performance of electrocatalysts toward the oxygen evolution reaction. Inspired by the natural porosity and abundant functional groups, herein, hollow N-doped carbon nano-mushroom (NCNM) encapsulated hybrid sulfide particles rooted into a carbonized wood (CW) framework were prepared through simple impregnation followed by calcination. The as-prepared self-supporting electrodes present ultrahigh activity and robust stability. Among them, the NiFeS14@NCNM/CW catalyst yields incredible OER activity with an extraordinarily low overpotential of 147 and 250 mV to reach 10 and 50 mA cm-2, respectively, superior to most of the state-of-the-art wood-derived electrocatalysts. Additionally, a steady OER current density is maintained without obvious attenuation after continuous operation for 24 h. The superior electrocatalytic performance of NiFeS14@NCNM/CW is attributed to the synergistic effect of hybridization between Ni3S2 and Fe5Ni4S8, the coordination of one-dimensional (1D) NCNMs and hierarchical three-dimensional (3D) porous CW, modified electronic states by N and S doping, a large electrochemical surface area, and low activation energy. This research provides a novel approach to industrial-scale conversion of abundant biomass into efficient binder-free electrocatalysts for energy-related applications.

Prussian blue analog-derived nickel iron phosphide-reduced graphene oxide hybrid as an efficient catalyst for overall water electrolysis

Efficient and bifunctional nonprecious catalysts for oxygen evolution reaction (OER) and hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) are essential for the production of green hydrogen via water electrolysis. Transition metal (Ni, Co, Fe, etc.) phosphides are frequently documented HER catalysts, whereas their bimetallic oxides are efficient OER catalysts, thus enabling bifunctional catalysis for water electrolysis via proper operation. Herein, phosphide-reduced graphene oxide (rGO) hybrids were prepared from graphene oxide (GO)-incorporated bimetal Prussian blue analog (PBA) precursors. The hybrids could experience partial surface oxidation to create oxide layers with OER activities, and the hybrids also possessed considerable HER properties, therefore enabling bifunctional catalytic features for water electrolysis. The typical NiFeP-rGO hybrid demonstrated an overpotential of 250 mV at 10 mA cm^-2 and good durability for OER, as well as moderate HER catalytic features (overpotential of 165 mV at -10 mA cm^-2 and acceptable catalytic stability). Due to the bifunctional catalytic features, the NiFeP-rGO-based symmetric water electrolyzer demonstrated a moderate input voltage and high faradaic efficiency (FE) for O₂ and H₂ production. The current work provides a feasible way to prepare OER and HER bifunctional catalysts by facile phosphorization of PBA-associated precursors and spontaneous surface oxidation. Given the oxidation/reduction bifunctional catalytic behaviors, phosphide-rGO hybrid catalysts have great potential for widespread application in fields beyond water electrolysis, such as electrochemical pollution abatement, sensors, energy devices and organic syntheses.

FeNiP nanoparticle/N,P dual-doped carbon composite as a trifunctional catalyst towards high-performance zinc-air batteries and overall water electrolysis

A composite catalyst with a novel construction of bimetallic phosphide FeNiP nanoparticles embedded in an N,P double-doped carbon matrix was prepared. It was demonstrated to be a trifunctional catalyst that can efficiently catalyze the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR), oxygen evolution reaction (OER) and hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). It was found that the introduction of oleylamine during the preparation can adjust the catalytic sites and finally lead to ideal catalytic performances. The obtained catalyst exhibited efficient ORR catalytic performance that surpassed the commercial Pt/C catalyst, with the OER performance comparable to that of RuO₂ as well as excellent HER performance. The ORR half-wave potential is 0.879 V (vs. RHE) in 0.1 M KOH solution, while the OER overpotential at a current density of 10 mA cm^-2 is only 280 mV in 1 M KOH solution. The potential gap between the ORR and OER was only 0.700 V in 0.1 M KOH solution. This trifunctional catalyst was further evaluated in energy devices including zinc-air batteries and water electrolysis. The liquid zinc-air battery assembly achieved a power density of 169 mW cm^-2 and stably undergoes charge-discharge cycles for 210 hours. The solid-state zinc-air battery achieved a power density of 70 mW cm^-2 and stably undergoes charge-discharge cycles for 40 hours. These performances surpassed the batteries assembled with a Pt/C-RuO₂ mixed catalyst. This work established a foundation of composite catalysts coupled with bimetallic phosphide and hybrid carbon substrates, which will promote the development of high-performance multifunctional catalysts and their application in energy devices.

Facile synthesis of N-doped carbon nanoframes encapsulated by CoP nanoparticles for hydrogen evolution reaction

Development of high-performance, economic, and stable non-noble metal catalysts is a still formidable challenge in hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) that must be overcome to alleviate the energy and environmental crisis. Herein, we designed and fabricated N-doped carbon nanoframes encapsulated by CoP nanoparticles (CoP-NCN). The 3D porous structure of the ZIF-67-derived N-doped carbon shortened the charge and mass transport pathways, contributing to enhanced electrocatalytic performance. Moreover, the synergistic effects of excellent conductivity, abundant mesopores, and high-activity CoP nanoparticles led to remarkable electrocatalytic activity toward HER with an extremely low overpotential of 120 mV at 10 mA cm^-2 and long-term stability. We further indicate that the fantastic HER catalytic ability of CoP-NCN is attributed to the good conductivity and the abundant active sites. The present study provides a promising avenue toward the design of cost-effective HER electrocatalysts.