Issue 48, 2021

Molten state synthesis of nickel phosphides: mechanism and composition-activity correlation for electrochemical applications

Abstract

Nickel phosphides are highly attractive low-cost (electro)catalysts, thanks to their unique electronic structure, versatile phase diagram, and chemical stability. Herein, we describe a single-step, simple, and scalable synthesis of nickel phosphides, with good control over phase composition, size, and catalytic activity, by a direct thermal reaction of nickel nitrate hexahydrate and triphenylphosphine (PPh3). Advanced analytic tools combined with theoretical calculations reveal that upon heating, nickel ions are dissolved and coordinated by PPh3, enabling the synthesis of fine-tuned particles, with nickel phosphide phases ranging from Ni3P to Ni2P. The new synthetic method enables comprehending the correlation between phase composition and the phosphides' catalytic activity. This work shows a clear composition-activity trend of the optimized nickel phosphides both as electrocatalysts for the hydrogen evolution reaction in acidic media and as anode materials in Li-ion batteries.

Graphical abstract: Molten state synthesis of nickel phosphides: mechanism and composition-activity correlation for electrochemical applications

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
29 Sep 2021
Accepted
21 Nov 2021
First published
22 Nov 2021

J. Mater. Chem. A, 2021,9, 27629-27638

Molten state synthesis of nickel phosphides: mechanism and composition-activity correlation for electrochemical applications

R. Geva, N. R. Levy, J. Tzadikov, R. Cohen, M. Weitman, L. Xing, L. Abisdris, J. Barrio, J. Xia, M. Volokh, Y. Ein-Eli and M. Shalom, J. Mater. Chem. A, 2021, 9, 27629 DOI: 10.1039/D1TA08455K

To request permission to reproduce material from this article, please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

If you are an author contributing to an RSC publication, you do not need to request permission provided correct acknowledgement is given.

If you are the author of this article, you do not need to request permission to reproduce figures and diagrams provided correct acknowledgement is given. If you want to reproduce the whole article in a third-party publication (excluding your thesis/dissertation for which permission is not required) please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

Read more about how to correctly acknowledge RSC content.

Social activity

Spotlight

Advertisements