The synthesis of atomic-scale metal catalysts is a promising but very challenging project. In this work, we successfully fabricated a hybrid catalyst of PL/Ni(OH)2 with atomic-scale Pt clusters uniformly decorated o...The synthesis of atomic-scale metal catalysts is a promising but very challenging project. In this work, we successfully fabricated a hybrid catalyst of PL/Ni(OH)2 with atomic-scale Pt clusters uniformly decorated on porous Ni(OH)2 nanowires (NWs) via a facile room-temperature synthesis strategy. The as-obtained Ptc/Ni(OH)2 catalyst exhibits highly efficient hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) performance under basic conditions. In 0.1moll-1 KOH, the Ptc/Ni(OH)2 has an onset overpotential of -0 mV vs. RHE, and a significantly low overpotential of 32 mV at a current density of 10mAcm-2, lower than that of the com- mercial 20% Pt/C (58 mV). The mass current density data illustrated that the PL/Ni(OH)2 reached a high current den- sity of 6.34Amg^-1i at an overpotential of 50 mV, which was approximately 28 times higher than that of the commercial Pt/C (0.223Amg^-1i) at the same overpotential, proving the high-efficiency electrocatalytic activity of the as-obtained Ptc/Ni(OH)2 for HER under alkaline conditions.展开更多
Vertically aligned p-silicon nanowire (SiNW) arrays have been extensively investigated in recent years as promising photocathodes for solar-driven hydrogen evolution. However, the fabrication of SiNW photocathodes w...Vertically aligned p-silicon nanowire (SiNW) arrays have been extensively investigated in recent years as promising photocathodes for solar-driven hydrogen evolution. However, the fabrication of SiNW photocathodes with both high photoelectrocatalytic activity and long-term operational stability using a simple and affordable approach is a challenging task. Herein, we report conformal and continuous deposition of a di-cobalt phosphide (C02P) layer on lithography- patterned highly ordered SiNW arrays via a cost-effective drop-casting method followed by a low-temperature phosphorization treatment. The as-deposited C02P layer consists of crystalline nanoparticles and has an intimate contact with SiNWs, forming a well-defined SiNW@Co2P core/shell nanostructure. The conformal and continuous Co2P layer functions as a highly efficient catalyst capable of substantially improving the photoelectrocatalytic activity for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and effectively passivates the SiNWs to protect them from photo-oxidation, thus prolonging the lifetime of the electrode. As a consequence, the SiNW@Co2P photocathode with an optimized C02P layer thickness exhibits a high photocurrent density of -21.9 mA·cm^-2 at 0 V versus reversible hydrogen electrode and excellent operational stability up to 20 h for solar-driven hydrogen evolution, outperforming many nanostructured silicon photocathodes reported in the literature. The combination of passivation and catalytic functions in a single continuous layer represents a promising strategy for designing high-performance semiconductor photoelectrodes for use in solar-driven water splitting, which may simplify fabrication procedures and potentially reduce production costs.展开更多
基金financial support from the National Natural Science Foundation of China(21425103,21673280 and 11374039)
文摘The synthesis of atomic-scale metal catalysts is a promising but very challenging project. In this work, we successfully fabricated a hybrid catalyst of PL/Ni(OH)2 with atomic-scale Pt clusters uniformly decorated on porous Ni(OH)2 nanowires (NWs) via a facile room-temperature synthesis strategy. The as-obtained Ptc/Ni(OH)2 catalyst exhibits highly efficient hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) performance under basic conditions. In 0.1moll-1 KOH, the Ptc/Ni(OH)2 has an onset overpotential of -0 mV vs. RHE, and a significantly low overpotential of 32 mV at a current density of 10mAcm-2, lower than that of the com- mercial 20% Pt/C (58 mV). The mass current density data illustrated that the PL/Ni(OH)2 reached a high current den- sity of 6.34Amg^-1i at an overpotential of 50 mV, which was approximately 28 times higher than that of the commercial Pt/C (0.223Amg^-1i) at the same overpotential, proving the high-efficiency electrocatalytic activity of the as-obtained Ptc/Ni(OH)2 for HER under alkaline conditions.
文摘Vertically aligned p-silicon nanowire (SiNW) arrays have been extensively investigated in recent years as promising photocathodes for solar-driven hydrogen evolution. However, the fabrication of SiNW photocathodes with both high photoelectrocatalytic activity and long-term operational stability using a simple and affordable approach is a challenging task. Herein, we report conformal and continuous deposition of a di-cobalt phosphide (C02P) layer on lithography- patterned highly ordered SiNW arrays via a cost-effective drop-casting method followed by a low-temperature phosphorization treatment. The as-deposited C02P layer consists of crystalline nanoparticles and has an intimate contact with SiNWs, forming a well-defined SiNW@Co2P core/shell nanostructure. The conformal and continuous Co2P layer functions as a highly efficient catalyst capable of substantially improving the photoelectrocatalytic activity for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and effectively passivates the SiNWs to protect them from photo-oxidation, thus prolonging the lifetime of the electrode. As a consequence, the SiNW@Co2P photocathode with an optimized C02P layer thickness exhibits a high photocurrent density of -21.9 mA·cm^-2 at 0 V versus reversible hydrogen electrode and excellent operational stability up to 20 h for solar-driven hydrogen evolution, outperforming many nanostructured silicon photocathodes reported in the literature. The combination of passivation and catalytic functions in a single continuous layer represents a promising strategy for designing high-performance semiconductor photoelectrodes for use in solar-driven water splitting, which may simplify fabrication procedures and potentially reduce production costs.