Achieving advanced hydrogen evolution under large current density using an amorphous/crystalline core-shell...

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Electrochemistry
• Catalysis

Background:

• Platinum and Ruthenium are expensive and scarce for hydrogen evolution reactions.
• Developing non-precious transition metal electrocatalysts is crucial for cost-effective hydrogen production.
• Electrocatalyst design requires strategies to enhance activity and stability.

Purpose of the Study:

• To engineer a novel core-shell electrocatalyst combining amorphous NiCoP and crystalline Co2P.
• To investigate the catalytic performance of the a-NiCoP/Co2P@NF for hydrogen evolution.
• To understand the structure-activity relationship governing the enhanced catalytic properties.

Main Methods:

• Core-shell engineering strategy to create a hierarchical structure.
• Electrochemical characterization to assess overpotential and current density for hydrogen evolution.
• Stability testing to evaluate long-term performance.

Main Results:

• The a-NiCoP/Co2P@NF catalyst achieved a benchmark current density of 10 mA cm-2 at an ultra-low overpotential of 26 mV.
• The catalyst demonstrated an industrial-level hydrogen evolution current density of 500 mA cm-2 with excellent stability.
• Superior performance was attributed to the amorphous/crystalline interface and electron-rich interfacial Co sites.

Conclusions:

• The hierarchical amorphous/crystalline core-shell structure significantly boosts electrocatalytic activity and stability.
• The a-NiCoP/Co2P@NF catalyst presents a viable, high-performance alternative to precious metal catalysts for hydrogen evolution.
• This work offers insights into designing advanced core-shell catalysts with tunable properties.