Recent Progress in Cobalt‐Based Heterogeneous Catalysts for Electrochemical Water SplittingJiahai Wang, Wei Cui, Qian Liu et al.|Advanced Materials|2015 Water electrolysis is considered as the most promising technology for hydrogen production. Much research has been devoted to developing efficient electrocatalysts for hydrogen production via the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and oxygen production via the oxygen evolution reaction (OER). The optimum electrocatalysts can drive down the energy costs needed for water splitting via lowering the overpotential. A number of cobalt (Co)-based materials have been developed over past years as non-noble-metal heterogeneous electrocatalysts for HER and OER. Recent progress in this field is summarized here, especially highlighting several important bifunctional catalysts. Various approaches to improve or optimize the electrocatalysts are introduced. Finally, the current existing challenges and the future working directions for enhancing the performance of Co-implicated electrocatalysts are proposed.
Closely Interconnected Network of Molybdenum Phosphide Nanoparticles: A Highly Efficient Electrocatalyst for Generating Hydrogen from WaterA closely interconnected network of MoP nanoparticles (MoP-CA2) with rich nano-pores, large specific surface area, and high conductivity can function as a highly active non-noble metal catalyst for electrochemically generating hydrogen from acidic water. The network exhibits nearly 100% Faradaic efficiency and needs overpotentials of 125 and 200 mV to attain current densities of 10 and 100 mA cm(-2) , respectively. The catalytic activity is maintained for at least 24 h.
Atomic and electronic modulation of self-supported nickel-vanadium layered double hydroxide to accelerate water splitting kineticsDewen Wang, Qun Li, Ce Han et al.|Nature Communications|2019 Herein, ruthenium (Ru) and iridium (Ir) are introduced to tailor the atomic and electronic structure of self-supported nickel-vanadium (NiV) layered double hydroxide to accelerate water splitting kinetics, and the origin of high hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER) activities are analyzed at atomic level. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and X-ray absorption near-edge structure spectroscopy studies reveal synergistic electronic interactions among Ni, V, and Ru (Ir) cations. Raman spectra and Fourier and wavelet transform analyses of the extended X-ray absorption fine structure indicate modulated local coordination environments around the Ni and V cations, and the existence of V vacancies. The Debye-Waller factor suggests a severely distorted octahedral V environment caused by the incorporation of Ru and Ir. Theoretical calculations further confirm that Ru or Ir doping could optimize the adsorption energy of intermediates in the Volmer and Heyrovsky steps for HER and accelerate the whole kinetic process for OER.
Ultrathin graphitic carbon nitride nanosheets: a low-cost, green, and highly efficient electrocatalyst toward the reduction of hydrogen peroxide and its glucose biosensing applicationIn this communication, we demonstrate for the first time that ultrathin graphitic carbon nitride (g-C₃N₄) nanosheets can serve as a low-cost, green, and highly efficient electrocatalyst toward the reduction of hydrogen peroxide. We further demonstrate its application for electrochemical glucose biosensing in both buffer solution and human serum medium with a detection limit of 11 μM and 45 μM, respectively.
MoP nanosheets supported on biomass-derived carbon flake: One-step facile preparation and application as a novel high-active electrocatalyst toward hydrogen evolution reactionWei Cui, Qian Liu, Zhicai Xing et al.|Applied Catalysis B: Environmental|2014