Related Experiment Video
Updated: Feb 10, 2026

Author Spotlight: A Rapid, Microwave-Assisted Hydrothermal Synthesis Of Nickel Hydroxide Nanosheets
Published on: August 18, 2023
A porous nickel cyclotetraphosphate nanosheet as a new acid-stable electrocatalyst for efficient hydrogen evolution
Xiong Liu1, Bo Wen, Ruiting Guo
1State Key Laboratory of Advanced Technology for Materials Synthesis and Processing, International School of Materials Science and Engineering, Wuhan University of Technology, Luoshi Road 122, Wuhan, 430070, Hubei, China. qi.li@whut.edu.cn mlq518@whut.edu.cn.
Abstract:
The stability of non-precious metal-based electrocatalysts for the acidic hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) is of great importance. Here, we have used nickel cyclotetraphosphate (Ni2P4O12) nanosheet arrays as a HER electrocatalyst for the first time. The Ni2P4O12 arrays were obtained through a facile low-temperature phosphorylation process and possess superior HER catalytic activities and stability in acid. The Ni2P4O12 delivers a small overpotential of 131.8 mV at -10 mA cm-2 and a low Tafel slope of 47.8 mV dec-1 in 0.5 M H2SO4, comparable to most of the non-precious metal-based catalysts. Importantly, the Ni2P4O12 shows a negligible potential change (6.5 mV) over 80 000 s continuous testing in acid. The remarkable catalytic performances of Ni2P4O12 are mainly attributed to the inductive effect of P4O124- and its polymer-like structure, promoting it as a potential acid-stable HER electrocatalyst.
Related Concept Videos
The Evidence for Evolution
Convergent Evolution
Hydrogen Bonds
Hydrogen Bonds Control the World!
Because hydrogen has very weak electronegativity when it binds with a strongly electronegative atom, such as oxygen or nitrogen, electrons in the bond are unequally shared....
Hydrogen Bonds
Amino acids
Acids, Bases and Neutralization Reactions

