Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jan 17, 2026
10:15
Solar-Driven Electrochemical Green Fuel Production from CO2 and Water Using Ti3C2Tx MXene-Supported CuZn and NiCo Catalysts
Published on: November 7, 2025
483
Theoretical-Interfacial Codesign Enabling a Multi-Functional Electrode for Efficient Electrocatalysis and Energy
Min Zhu1, Xuerong Shi1, Shengming Zhang1
1School of Materials Engineering, Shanghai University of Engineering Science, Shanghai 201620, China.
Langmuir : the ACS Journal of Surfaces and Colloids
|September 16, 2025
Summary
This study engineered a novel CoP/CoNi2S4 composite catalyst for efficient water splitting and energy storage. The integrated catalyst shows superior performance in hydrogen evolution, oxygen evolution, and as a hybrid supercapacitor.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Electrochemistry
- Catalysis
Background:
- Integrated catalysts for water splitting, urea electrolysis, and energy storage are challenging to engineer.
- Theoretical predictions suggested CoP/CoNi2S4 composites enhance hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) activity.
Purpose of the Study:
- To fabricate and evaluate a CoP/CoNi2S4 nanorod structure for integrated electrocatalytic and energy storage applications.
- To assess the catalyst's performance in overall water splitting, urea electrolysis, and as a hybrid supercapacitor.
Main Methods:
- Fabrication of CoP/CoNi2S4 nanorod composite structure.
- Electrochemical characterization of HER and oxygen evolution reaction (OER) performance in acidic, alkaline, and seawater electrolytes.
- Testing of a symmetric electrolyzer with urea-added electrolytes.
- Assembly and evaluation of a CoP/CoNi2S4//AC hybrid supercapacitor device.
Main Results:
- The CoP/CoNi2S4 nanorod structure demonstrated exceptional HER activity across various conditions, surpassing commercial Pt/C at high current densities.
- The catalyst exhibited superior OER activity in alkaline media and simulated seawater, outperforming commercial RuO2.
- A symmetric electrolyzer using the composite achieved 10 mA cm-2 at 1.53 V in urea-added electrolytes.
- The hybrid supercapacitor delivered an energy density of 50.9 Wh kg-1 with excellent cycling stability.
Conclusions:
- The CoP/CoNi2S4 composite effectively integrates electrocatalytic and energy storage functionalities.
- This multifunctional material shows significant promise for advanced energy conversion technologies.
Related Concept Videos
01:06Interfacial Electrochemical Methods: Overview
808
Interfacial electrochemical methods focus on the phenomena occurring at the boundary between an electrode and a solution, as opposed to bulk methods that concentrate on the solution's overall properties. These interfacial methods are classified as either static or dynamic based on the presence of a nonzero current in the electrochemical cell and the consistency of analyte concentrations. Static methods, such as potentiometry, measure the cell's potential without any significant current...
808
01:04Electrochemistry: Overview
3.5K
Electrochemistry is the branch of chemistry that studies the relationship between electrical quantities and chemical reactions, particularly oxidation and reduction. Oxidation is the loss of electrons from a substance, whereas reduction refers to the gain of electrons. A substance with a strong electron affinity is called an oxidizing agent (oxidant), and a reducing agent (reductant) is a species that donates electrons. Oxidation and reduction processes are pivotal to electrochemical reactions,...
3.5K
01:26Thermal and Photochemical Electrocyclic Reactions: Overview
3.0K
Electrocyclic reactions are reversible reactions. They involve an intramolecular cyclization or ring-opening of a conjugated polyene. Shown below are two examples of electrocyclic reactions. In the first reaction, the formation of the cyclic product is favored. In contrast, in the second reaction, ring-opening is favored due to the high ring strain associated with cyclobutene formation.
3.0K
02:47Voltaic/Galvanic Cells
63.0K
Spontaneous Chemical Reactions
Spontaneous redox reactions occur abundantly in nature. The chemical reaction occurring in a disposable AA battery powering our remote controls is one such example of a spontaneous redox reaction. Another example is the immersion of coiled copper wire into an aqueous silver nitrate solution. The reaction shows a gradual, visually impressive color change from colorless to bright blue and the formation of a grey precipitate on the copper wire. In this experiment,...
Spontaneous redox reactions occur abundantly in nature. The chemical reaction occurring in a disposable AA battery powering our remote controls is one such example of a spontaneous redox reaction. Another example is the immersion of coiled copper wire into an aqueous silver nitrate solution. The reaction shows a gradual, visually impressive color change from colorless to bright blue and the formation of a grey precipitate on the copper wire. In this experiment,...
63.0K
03:12Batteries and Fuel Cells
30.7K
A battery is a galvanic cell that is used as a source of electrical power for specific applications. Modern batteries exist in a multitude of forms to accommodate various applications, from tiny button batteries such as those that power wristwatches to the very large batteries used to supply backup energy to municipal power grids. Some batteries are designed for single-use applications and cannot be recharged (primary cells), while others are based on conveniently reversible cell reactions that...
30.7K