The oxygen evolution reaction (OER) is the oxidative half of water electrolysis and the main cause of energy loss during the reaction. Recently, we intercalated transition metals into zirconium phosphate (ZrP) nanoparticles and the composite materials were studied as OER electrocatalysts under alkaline conditions. Another system which incorporated the metals only on the surface of ZrP was also studied for OER and had better performances than intercalated samples. Following that work, we hypothesized that exfoliating ZrP can serve as better supports for these transition metals as they may provide more active sites for the OER than ZrP nanoparticles. Exfoliation of ZrP was accomplished with tetra-n-butyl ammonium hydroxide (TBA+OH-). The exfoliated ZrP was modified with transition metals by doing an ion-exchange reaction. We have also nanostructured ZrP to produce different morphologies and modify each with transition metals. All metal-modified samples were tested for their activity for OER in a three-electrode electrochemical cell using a Rotating Disk Electrode (RDE) configuration with 0.1 M KOH as the electrolyte. Nickel and cobalt-modified exfoliated ZrP showed an improved activity compared to that of surface-modified ZrP nanoparticles previously reported. More specifically, the nickel sample had an overpotential of 400 mV at a current density of 3 mA/cm2, 100 mV less than the surface adsorbed system. Cobalt-modified exfoliated ZrP showed an overpotential of 453 mV at a current density of 10 mA/cm2, 73 mV less than the surface-modified system. Herein, we also make a comprehensive electrochemical activity comparison between all metal-modified samples with different support morphology.

Synthesis, characterization and electrochemical activity studies of metal-modified zirconium phosphate electrocatalysts for the oxygen evolution reaction

Macromolecular Chemistry: The Second Century

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ACS Spring 2020 National Meeting & Expo

The official archive and repository for all ACS Meetings & Expositions abstracts and select posters or presentations.