Revealing component synergy of Ni‒Fe/black phosphorous composites synthesized by self-designed electrochemical method for enhancing photoelectrocatalytic oxygen evolution reaction

doi:10.1007/s11706-023-0646-8

Front. Mater. Sci.

2023, Vol. 17

Issue (2) : 230646 https://doi.org/10.1007/s11706-023-0646-8

RESEARCH ARTICLE

Revealing component synergy of Ni‒Fe/black phosphorous composites synthesized by self-designed electrochemical method for enhancing photoelectrocatalytic oxygen evolution reaction

He Xiao¹, Shoufeng Xue¹, Zimei Fu¹, Man Zhao¹(

), Li Zhang¹, Junming Zhang¹, Haishun Wu¹, Jianfeng Jia¹(

), Nianjun Yang²(

)

¹. Key Laboratory of Magnetic Molecules & Magnetic Information Materials (Ministry of Education), School of Chemistry and Materials Science, Shanxi Normal University, Taiyuan 030032, China
². Department of Chemistry, Hasselt University, 3590 Diepenbeek, Belgium

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Abstract

Developing high-activity and low-cost catalysts is the key to eliminate the limitation of sluggish anodic oxygen evolution reaction (OER) during electrocatalytic overall water splitting. Herein, Ni‒Fe/black phosphorous (BP) composites are synthesized using a simple three-electrode system, where exfoliation of bulky BP and synthesis of NiFe composites are simultaneously achieved. Under light illumination, the optimized Ni‒Fe/BP composite exhibits excellent photoelectrocatalytic OER performance (e.g., the overpotential is 58 mV lower than a commercial RuO₂ electrocatalyst at a current density of 10 mA·cm⁻²). The electron transfer on this composite is proved to follow a Ni‒BP‒Fe pathway. The electronic structure of this Ni‒Fe/BP composite is effectively regulated, leading to optimized adsorption strength of the intermediate OH* and improved intrinsic activity for the OER. Together with active sites on the support, this Ni‒Fe/BP composite possesses abundant electrochemical active sites and a bug surface area for the OER. The introduction of light further accelerates the electrocatalytic OER. This work provides a novel and facile method to synthesize high-performance metal/BP composites as well as the approaches to reveal their OER mechanisms.

Keywords black phosphorous (photo-)electrocatalysis oxygen evolution reaction

Corresponding Author(s): Man Zhao,Jianfeng Jia,Nianjun Yang

About author:

*These authors equally shared correspondence to this manuscript.

Issue Date: 28 April 2023

Cite this article:

He Xiao,Shoufeng Xue,Zimei Fu, et al. Revealing component synergy of Ni‒Fe/black phosphorous composites synthesized by self-designed electrochemical method for enhancing photoelectrocatalytic oxygen evolution reaction[J]. Front. Mater. Sci., 2023, 17(2): 230646.

URL:

https://academic.hep.com.cn/foms/EN/10.1007/s11706-023-0646-8
https://academic.hep.com.cn/foms/EN/Y2023/V17/I2/230646

Fig.1 Schematic plot of electrochemically synthesizing the Ni?Fe/BP composites.

Fig.2 (a) XRD patterns and (b) XPS survey spectra of BP nanosheets, Ni/BP, Fe/BP, and Ni?Fe/BP catalysts. (c) Ni 2p XPS spectra of the Ni/BP and Ni?Fe/BP catalysts. (d) Fe 2p XPS spectra of the Fe/BP and Ni?Fe/BP catalysts. (e) P 2p and (f) O 1s XPS spectra of BP nanosheets, Ni/BP, Fe/BP, and Ni?Fe/BP catalysts.

Fig.3 (a) SEM image, (b) TEM image, (c)(d)(e) HRTEM images, (f) HAADF-STEM image, and (g)(h)(i)(j) corresponding EDS mapping images of the Ni?Fe/BP catalyst.

Fig.4 (a) LSV results, (b) overpotential comparison, (c) Tafel plots, (d) Nyquist plots, and (e) C_dl values of BP nanosheets as well as the Ni?Fe/BP, Ni/BP, and Fe/BP catalysts. (f) Chronoamperometric curve of the Ni?Fe/BP catalyst at a constant potential of 1.57 V.

Fig.5 LSVs of oxygen intermediates during the MOR on (a) BP nanosheets as well as (b) Fe/BP, (c) Ni/BP, and (d) Ni?Fe/BP catalysts in 1 mol·L^?1 KOH (black) and 1 mol·L^?1 KOH + CH₃OH (purple) at a scan rate of 50 mV·s^?1. These filled areas are the current difference that is caused by the MOR.

Fig.6 (a) Schematic illustration of as-proposed reaction mechanism. (b) Composition effect of the Ni?Fe/BP catalyst for the promoted OER.

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