Issue

Vol. 14 (2022)

Coordination Effect-Promoted Durable Ni(OH)2 for Energy-Saving Hydrogen Evolution from Water/Methanol Co-Electrocatalysis

https://doi.org/10.1007/s40820-022-00940-3
Guodong Fu
Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Polymer Science and Technology, Guangdong Research Center for Interfacial Engineering of Functional Materials, College of Materials Science and Engineering, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, People’s Republic of China
Xiaomin Kang
Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Polymer Science and Technology, Guangdong Research Center for Interfacial Engineering of Functional Materials, College of Materials Science and Engineering, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, People’s Republic of China
Yan Zhang
Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Polymer Science and Technology, Guangdong Research Center for Interfacial Engineering of Functional Materials, College of Materials Science and Engineering, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, People’s Republic of China
Xiaoqiang Yang
Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Polymer Science and Technology, Guangdong Research Center for Interfacial Engineering of Functional Materials, College of Materials Science and Engineering, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, People’s Republic of China
Lei Wang
Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Polymer Science and Technology, Guangdong Research Center for Interfacial Engineering of Functional Materials, College of Materials Science and Engineering, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, People’s Republic of China
Xian‑Zhu Fu
Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Polymer Science and Technology, Guangdong Research Center for Interfacial Engineering of Functional Materials, College of Materials Science and Engineering, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, People’s Republic of China
Jiujun Zhang
Institute for Sustainable Energy, College of Sciences, Shanghai University, Shanghai 200444, People’s Republic of China
Jing‑Li Luo
Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Polymer Science and Technology, Guangdong Research Center for Interfacial Engineering of Functional Materials, College of Materials Science and Engineering, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, People’s Republic of China
Jianwen Liu
Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Polymer Science and Technology, Guangdong Research Center for Interfacial Engineering of Functional Materials, College of Materials Science and Engineering, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, People’s Republic of China

Corresponding Author: Jianwen Liu

jwliu@szu.edu.cn

Nano-Micro Letters, Vol. 14 (2022), Article Number: 200

Abstract

Electrocatalytic water splitting is a viable technique for generating hydrogen but is precluded from the sluggish kinetics of oxygen evolution reactions (OER). Small molecule oxidation reactions with lower working potentials, such as methanol oxidation reactions, are good alternatives to OER with faster kinetics. However, the typically employed Ni-based electrocatalysts have poor activity and stability. Herein, a novel three-dimensional (3D)-networking Mo-doped Ni(OH)2 with ultralow Ni–Ni coordination is synthesized, which exhibits a high MOR activity of 100 mA cm−2 at 1.39 V, delivering 28 mV dec−1 for the Tafel slope. Meanwhile, hydrogen evolution with value-added formate co-generation is boosted with a current density of more than 500 mA cm−2 at a cell voltage of 2.00 V for 50 h, showing excellent stability in an industrial alkaline concentration (6 M KOH). Mechanistic studies based on density functional theory and X-ray absorption spectroscopy showed that the improved performance is mainly attributed to the ultralow Ni–Ni coordination, 3D-networking structures and Mo dopants, which improve the catalytic activity, increase the active site density and strengthen the Ni(OH)2 3D-networking structures, respectively. This study paves a new way for designing electrocatalysts with enhanced activity and durability for industrial energy-saving hydrogen production.


Highlights:


1 A novel Ni(OH)2-based catalyst with ultralow Ni–Ni coordination is produced, exhibiting high activity (100 mA cm−2 at 1.39 V for methanol oxidation reactions) and outstanding stability in an industrial concentration electrolyte (over 500 mA cm−2 in 6 M KOH).
2 Mechanistic studies show that the improved kinetics and durability are primarily due to ultralow Ni–Ni coordination, 3D-networking structures and the Mo dopant.

Keywords

Coordination effect Methanol selective oxidation NiMoO4 Formate Energy-saving hydrogen production
Fu, Guodong, Xiaomin Kang, Yan Zhang, Xiaoqiang Yang, Lei Wang, Xian‑Zhu Fu, Jiujun Zhang, Jing‑Li Luo, and Jianwen Liu. 2022. “Coordination Effect-Promoted Durable Ni(OH)2 for Energy-Saving Hydrogen Evolution from Water/Methanol Co-Electrocatalysis”. Nano-Micro Letters 14 (October):200. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40820-022-00940-3.
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