Heteroatom-doped carbon coated CoP/MoP heterostructure for highly efficient hydrazine-assisted water electrolysis at...

Hydrazine oxidation reaction (HzOR), owing to its exceptionally low theoretical oxidation potential, positions hydrazine-assisted water electrolysis as an ideal candidate for highly efficient hydrogen production. This reaction holds significant promise for future applications, offering substantial potential in the field of sustainable energy production. Herein, we report a bifunctional electrocatalyst consisting of interfacial heterogeneous CoP/MoP microspheres, coated with heteroatom-doped carbon, prepared by an organophosphonate-derived process. Due to the synergistic interaction between two metal phosphides, along with the heterojunction interface created, exceptional electrocatalytic performance is provided. A low HzOR potential of 0.29 V is exhibited by CoP/MoP@NPC, enabling the achievement of a current density of 1 A cm^-2, while only -0.33 V is required for hydrogen evolution reaction at the same current density. Furthermore, when incorporated into a hydrazine-assisted water electrolysis system, the required voltage is significantly reduced by CoP/MoP@NPC, with 1 A cm^-2 being achieved at an ultra-low voltage of just 0.70 V for overall hydrazine splitting, which is far lower than that required for overall water splitting. Moreover, a Zn-hydrazine battery-powered hydrogen production system is assembled with CoP/MoP@NPC, proving its promising contribution to renewable resource-combined energy conversion technologies.