Low-Cost Pt-Cu₃P/Cu₃(PO₄)₂ with Outstanding Water Splitting Activity in both Basic Solutions and Seawater

Area of Science:

• Electrochemistry
• Materials Science
• Catalysis

Background:

• Developing efficient bifunctional catalysts for water splitting is crucial for renewable energy technologies.
• Existing catalysts often face limitations in stability and performance across different electrolytes like seawater.

Purpose of the Study:

• To synthesize and evaluate a novel binder-free bifunctional catalyst for efficient water splitting in both alkaline solutions and seawater.
• To investigate the electrocatalytic properties and underlying mechanisms of the developed catalyst.

Main Methods:

• Two-step synthesis of Pt-Cu3P/Cu3(PO4)2 on copper mesh (CM).
• Electrochemical characterization including hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER) measurements.
• Analysis of catalyst morphology and electrochemical properties like surface area and charge transfer resistance.

Main Results:

• The Pt-Cu3P/Cu3(PO4)2/CM (Pt-Cu3P/CPO/CM) catalyst exhibited excellent HER and superior OER activity compared to benchmarks.
• Achieved a low voltage of 1.653 V (alkaline) and 1.676 V (seawater) at 10 mA cm-2, outperforming Pt/C/CM-RuO2/CM.
• In situ formed Pt-Cu3P/CPO heterojunction enhanced catalytic performance by increasing surface area and reducing charge transfer resistance.

Conclusions:

• Pt-Cu3P/CPO/CM is a highly effective self-supported bifunctional catalyst for water splitting in diverse electrolytes.
• The study offers a valuable material design strategy for developing advanced Cu3(PO4)2-based electrocatalysts.