Transition metal phosphides as efficient electrocatalysts for water electrolysis<br/>Water electrolysis is an environmentally-benign and economic approach to produce hydrogen gas. The key to large-scale applications of water electrolyzers is low cost, efficient, and durable electrocatalysts. Tremendous efforts have been devoted to developing novel electrocatalysts to replace noble metal based ones. Among them, transition metal phosphides have emerged as attractive candidates in alkaline electrolytes due to their high electrical conductivity and intrinsic activity. In this presentation, I will introduce our recent progress on several phosphide systems, such as Fe–Ni–P, Ni2(1-x)Mo2xP, and CoP/Ni5P4/CoP. By anchoring the electrocatalysts onto highly conductive and robust nickel foams, the phosphides exhibit high activity and stability to catalyze both cathodic hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and anodic oxygen evolution reaction, especially under large current densities of &gt;500 mA cm-2. I will also present our understandings of the high HER performance based on density functional theory calculations on water activation and hydrogen adsorption on these electrocatalysts in alkaline media.

Transition-metal phosphides as efficient electrocatalysts for water electrolysis

2019 Spring National Meeting

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