Synergistically Coupled CoMoP/Cr(OH)₃ for Electrocatalytic Water Splitting

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Electrochemistry
• Renewable Energy

Background:

• Developing cost-effective bifunctional electrocatalysts for overall water splitting is essential for renewable energy production.
• Existing catalysts often face challenges in efficiency and stability.

Purpose of the Study:

• To design and synthesize a novel bifunctional electrocatalyst with enhanced activity and stability for overall water splitting.
• To investigate the synergistic effects between CoMoP nanosheets and Cr(OH)3 nanoblocks in a heterostructure.

Main Methods:

• Hydrothermal synthesis and electrodeposition were employed to assemble the CoMoP/Cr(OH)3 heterostructure on Nickel Foam (NF).
• Electrochemical techniques were used to evaluate the electrocatalytic performance for both hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER).

Main Results:

• The CoMoP/Cr(OH)3/NF electrode exhibited low overpotentials of 88 mV for HER and 207 mV for OER at 10 mA cm-2.
• The assembled CoMoP/Cr(OH)3||CoMoP/Cr(OH)3//NF system achieved an overall water splitting voltage of 1.52 V at 10 mA cm-2, surpassing many existing catalysts.
• The strong coupling interface facilitated d-d orbital hybridization, increasing active sites and charge transfer efficiency.

Conclusions:

• The CoMoP/Cr(OH)3 heterostructure demonstrates superior bifunctional electrocatalytic activity and stability for overall water splitting.
• This work presents a rapid and rational strategy for developing advanced bimetallic phosphide/hydroxide heterostructured electrocatalysts.