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Highly Durable Nanoporous Cu2-S Films for Efficient Hydrogen Evolution Electrocatalysis under Mild pH Conditions
Roser Fernández-Climent1, Jesús Redondo2,3, Miguel García-Tecedor1,4
1Institute of Advanced Materials (INAM), Universitat Jaume I, Av. de Vicente Sos Baynat, s/n, 12006 Castelló, Spain.
ACS Catalysis
|August 11, 2023
Summary
New copper sulfide (Cu2S) electrocatalysts offer durable and efficient hydrogen production. These catalysts achieve high current densities for over a month, advancing sustainable hydrogen evolution technologies.
Area of Science:
- Electrochemistry
- Materials Science
- Sustainable Energy
Background:
- Copper-based electrocatalysts show promise for hydrogen production but face durability challenges.
- Scaling up hydrogen production requires efficient and long-lasting electrocatalysts.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a facile, cost-effective, and scalable synthesis for durable copper sulfide (Cu2S) electrocatalysts.
- To investigate the performance and underlying mechanisms of Cu2S electrocatalysts for hydrogen evolution.
Main Methods:
- Facile, cost-effective, and scalable synthesis of Cu2S electrocatalysts.
- Electrochemical testing for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) performance and durability.
- Advanced characterization techniques including X-ray photoemission spectroscopy (XPS), operando X-ray diffraction (XRD), and in situ spectroelectrochemistry.
Main Results:
- Cu2S electrodes demonstrated increasing hydrogen evolution rates for approximately one month.
- State-of-the-art performance achieved: ~400 mA cm-2 at -1 V vs RHE (pH 8.6) with ~100% Faradaic efficiency.
- Performance enhancement correlated with increased electrochemically active surface area and decreased Tafel slope, indicating Cu-centered active species.
Conclusions:
- A facile synthesis route for highly durable and efficient Cu2S electrocatalysts was established.
- Fundamental understanding of heterogeneous electrocatalyst transformation and structure-activity relationships was advanced.
- Developed Cu2S electrocatalysts show potential for competitive hydrogen evolution under mild pH conditions.
