Issue 3, 2025

Self-derived, high-mechanical-strength polymetallic phosphides microsheet heterostructures for industrial-scale high-current-density water-splitting

Abstract

Developing nanoarray microstructure catalysts to amplify catalytic active sites has been a prevalent strategy to achieve effective water electrolysis. However, the stability of electrodes is severely affected by the bubble bombardment at industrial conditions. To address this issue, we synthesized a Fe–CoNiP/NCF (Fe–CNP/NCF) bifunctional catalyst with heterogeneous microsheet arrays on nickel cobalt foam (NCF) using Fe3+ as an inducer through cation exchange and low-temperature phosphorization. The optimized Fe–CNP/NCF catalyst exhibited outstanding HER (η1000 = 195 mV) and OER (η1000 = 278 mV) activities, benefiting from the integration of abundant active sites on the hierarchical microsheets, where the doping of Fe promoted the formation of active species for the OER. In particular, accelerated mechanical strength tests demonstrated that the self-derived multidimensional catalyst possessed high mechanical robustness, thereby ensuring electrode resistance to withstand bubble impact under high current densities. As a proof of concept, in an industrial environment (6 M KOH, 80 °C), the dual-electrolyzer assembled with Fe–CNP/NCF sustained electrolysis for 200 h at a current density of 0.5 A cm−2, with a minimal rate of voltage loss (1.5 × 10−4 V h−1), which demonstrated prolonged catalytic durability and structural integrity. This work provides new insights and approaches for developing nanoscale catalysts with high mechanical strength for large-scale industrial water electrolysis.

Graphical abstract: Self-derived, high-mechanical-strength polymetallic phosphides microsheet heterostructures for industrial-scale high-current-density water-splitting

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Research Article
Submitted
09 Oct 2024
Accepted
08 Dec 2024
First published
11 Dec 2024

Inorg. Chem. Front., 2025,12, 1049-1058

Self-derived, high-mechanical-strength polymetallic phosphides microsheet heterostructures for industrial-scale high-current-density water-splitting

J. Jin, F. Chen, X. Hu, J. Zhang, L. Hou, W. Lei and F. Gao, Inorg. Chem. Front., 2025, 12, 1049 DOI: 10.1039/D4QI02544J

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