Highly-efficient heterogeneous catalysts are essential for the development of a vast number of renewable energy technologies, such as fuel and solar cells, metal�air batteries and water splitting. Currently, most of the materials with high catalytic activities are based on precious metals, but market forces, including cost and availability, are driving the development of alternatives. Here, we report the synthesis and characterization of iron-cobalt phosphide nanourchins as new earth-abundant electrocatalysts. Using cobalt ferrite nanoparticles as metal precursors in the presence of a phosphorus source, we are able to obtain metal-phosphide nanostructures with large surface area and good composition control. A detailed study of the effect of phosphorus incorporation on nanoparticle morphology and chemistry, and the improvement of the activity in oxygen reduction and evolution reactions, both in alkaline media, will be provided and discussed.

Synthesis and characterization of iron-cobalt phosphide <i>nanourchins</i> as electrocatalysts for energy conversion

248th National Meeting (2014)

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Synthesis and characterization of iron-cobalt phosphide nanourchins as electrocatalysts for energy conversion