Ni Center Coordination Reconstructed Nanocorals for Efficient Water Splitting

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Electrochemistry
• Catalysis

Background:

• Efficient electrocatalytic water splitting demands precisely coordinated active centers for optimal intermediate adsorption.
• Current catalysts often lack the tailored coordination environment needed for high performance in water splitting reactions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To design and implement a novel coordination reconstruction method for nickel (Ni) active centers.
• To synthesize a bifunctional catalyst with enhanced adsorption energy for efficient water splitting.
• To propose a 4D integrated material design strategy for advanced water-splitting catalysts.

Main Methods:

• Coordination reconstruction of Ni active centers via multidimensional modulation (phase transition, iodine coordination, vacancy defects).
• Synthesis of Ni5P4-xIx/Ni2P nanocorals.
• Investigation of the novel coordination environment using electron paramagnetic resonance and extended X-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy.

Main Results:

• Successfully synthesized Ni5P4-xIx/Ni2P nanocorals exhibiting outstanding bifunctional catalytic activity.
• Achieved low overpotentials for hydrogen evolution reaction (46 mV) and oxygen evolution reaction (163 mV) at 10 mA cm-2.
• Demonstrated efficient alkaline overall water splitting requiring only 1.46 V.

Conclusions:

• The coordination reconstruction strategy significantly optimizes adsorption energy, leading to superior catalytic performance.
• The developed Ni5P4-xIx/Ni2P catalyst presents a promising candidate for efficient water splitting applications.
• The proposed 4D material design strategy offers new perspectives for developing next-generation electrocatalysts.