Related Experiment Video
Updated: Mar 12, 2026

Synthesis of Metal Nanoparticles Supported on Carbon Nanotube with Doped Co and N Atoms and its Catalytic Applications in Hydrogen Production
Published on: December 6, 2021
Developing Ni3N/NiO heterostructure catalysts to enhance the hydrogen evolution reaction in an alkaline medium via a
Fangfang Liu1, Shan Ji2, Yongwei Li1
1Shandong Engineering Research Center of New Energy Materials and Devices, Weifang University of Science and Technology, 262700, Weifang, China.
Abstract:
In the construction of sustainable energy systems, the development of efficient and stable electrocatalysts for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) is of crucial significance. This study adopts an in situ oxidation-nitridation strategy to successfully construct a Ni3N/NiO heterostructured catalyst with a three-dimensional hierarchical structure. In this catalyst, NiO promotes the dissociation of water molecules, while Ni3N facilitates the generation and release of hydrogen molecules. The functional differentiation between these two materials at the interface drives the hydrogen spillover effect, synergistically accelerating the reaction rates of the basic steps in the HER. Through electrochemical testing, it is found that Ni3N/NiO/NF exhibits excellent HER performance in 1.0 M KOH solution, requiring only 58 and 98 mV overpotentials to achieve current densities of 10 and 100 mA cm-2, respectively, with a low Tafel slope of 42 mV dec-1. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and cyclic voltammetry (CV) analyses confirm the enhanced capability of this heterostructure in hydrogen adsorption and desorption. Ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy (UPS) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) tests reveal electron rearrangement at the interface, verifying the existence of hydrogen spillover pathways. Additionally, the superhydrophilic-superaerophobic wetting characteristics of the catalyst surface help improve the diffusion rate of reactants and the desorption efficiency of products, thereby further enhancing the overall catalytic stability.
Related Concept Videos
Catalysis
Nitriles to Amines: LiAlH4 Reduction
As shown below, the mechanism involves three steps. Firstly, the hydride ion acting as a nucleophile attacks the nitrile carbon to form an anion. In the second step, a second equivalent of the hydride ion attacks the anion to...
Reduction of Alkenes: Asymmetric Catalytic Hydrogenation
The metal catalyst used can be either heterogeneous or homogeneous. When hydrogenation of an alkene generates a chiral center, a pair of enantiomeric products is expected to form. However, an enantiomeric excess of one of the products can be facilitated using an enantioselective reaction or an...
Reduction of Alkenes: Catalytic Hydrogenation
Metals like palladium, platinum, and nickel are commonly used in their solid forms — fine powder on an inert surface. As these catalysts remain insoluble in the reaction mixture, they are referred to as heterogeneous catalysts.
The hydrogenation process takes place on the...
Heterogeneous Catalysis
Reduction of Alkynes to cis-Alkenes: Catalytic Hydrogenation
Like alkenes, alkynes can be reduced to alkanes in the presence of transition metal catalysts such as Pt, Pd, or Ni. The reaction involves two sequential syn additions of hydrogen via a cis-alkene intermediate.

