Plasma-Engraved Co₂N Nanostructures toward High-Performance Alkaline Hydrogen Evolution.

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Electrochemistry
• Catalysis

Background:

• Hydrogen production via electrochemical water splitting is a key area for sustainable energy.
• Developing efficient and durable electrocatalysts is crucial for advancing this technology.
• Cobalt nitride (Co2N) materials show promise for catalytic applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop novel electrocatalysts for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER).
• To enhance the catalytic performance and durability of Co2N nanoarrays.
• To investigate the effect of surface modification using argon plasma.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of hollow-like Co2N nanoarrays on carbon cloth.
• Surface engineering of Co2N nanoarrays using argon plasma treatment.
• Electrochemical characterization of the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) in alkaline media.
• Density functional theory (DFT) calculations to understand catalytic mechanisms.

Main Results:

• Argon plasma-engraved Co2N nanoarrays (Ar-Co2N/CC) exhibited excellent HER activity.
• Achieved an overpotential of 34 mV at 10 mA cm⁻² in an alkaline electrolyte.
• Demonstrated outstanding durability with stable performance for 240 hours.
• DFT calculations indicated that plasma engraving optimizes the cobalt coordination environment.

Conclusions:

• Argon plasma engraving is an effective surface modification strategy for Co2N electrocatalysts.
• The engineered Ar-Co2N/CC catalyst offers a promising pathway for efficient hydrogen production.
• This work establishes a new perspective for catalyst surface engineering via plasma treatment.