Arrayed Cobalt Phosphide Electrocatalyst Achieves Low Energy Consumption and Persistent H2 Liberation from Anodic Chemical Conversion

Nano-Micro Letters

Gong Zhang¹  Jiuhui Qu¹  Qinghua Ji¹  Kai Zhang²  Huijuan Liu² 

[1] Center for Water and Ecology, State Key Joint Laboratory of Environment Simulation and Pollution Control, School of Environment, Tsinghua University;State Key Laboratory of Environmental Aquatic Chemistry, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences;

关键词: Electrocatalysis;    Cobalt phosphide;    Hydrogen purification;    Ammonia oxidation reaction;    Membrane-free architecture;   

DOI  :  10.1007/s40820-020-00486-2

来源: DOAJ

【 摘 要 】

Abstract Electrochemical reduction of water to hydrogen (H2) offers a promising strategy for production of clean energy, but the design and optimization of electrochemical apparatus present challenges in terms of H2 recovery and energy consumption. Using cobalt phosphide nanoarrays (Co2P/CoP NAs) as a charge mediator, we effectively separated the H2 and O2 evolution of alkaline water electrolysis in time, thereby achieving a membrane-free pathway for H2 purification. The hierarchical array structure and synergistic optimization of the electronic configuration of metallic Co2P and metalloid CoP make the Co2P/CoP NAs high-efficiency bifunctional electrocatalysts for both charge storage and hydrogen evolution. Theoretical investigations revealed that the introduction of Co2P into CoP leads to a moderate hydrogen adsorption free energy and low water dissociation barrier, which are beneficial for boosting HER activity. Meanwhile, Co2P/CoP NAs with high capacitance could maintain a cathodic H2 evolution time of 1500 s at 10 mA cm−2 driven by a low average voltage of 1.38 V. Alternatively, the energy stored in the mediator could be exhausted via coupling with the anodic oxidation of ammonia, whereby only 0.21 V was required to hold the current for 1188 s. This membrane-free architecture demonstrates the potential for developing hydrogen purification technology at low cost.

【 授权许可】

Unknown