Issue 21, 2018

Phase-segregated NiPx@FePyOz core@shell nanoparticles: ready-to-use nanocatalysts for electro- and photo-catalytic water oxidation through in situ activation by structural transformation and spontaneous ligand removal

Abstract

The high overpotential of the oxygen evolution reaction is a critical issue to be overcome to realize efficient overall water splitting and enable hydrogen generation powered by sunlight. Homogeneous and stable nanoparticles (NPs) dispersed in solvents are useful as both electrocatalysts and cocatalysts of photocatalysts for the electro- and photo-catalytic oxygen evolution reaction, respectively, through their adsorption on various electrode substrates. Here, phase-segregated NiPx@FePyOz core@shell NPs are selectively synthesized by the reaction of Fe(CO)5 with amorphous NiPx seed-NPs. The NiPx@FePyOz NPs on conductive substrates exhibit higher electrocatalytic activity in the oxygen evolution reaction than those of other metal phosphide-based catalysts. The NiPx@FePyOz NPs can also be used as a cocatalyst of an anodic BiVO4 photocatalyst to boost the photocatalytic water oxidation reaction. The excellent catalytic activity and high stability of the NiPx@FePyOz NPs without any post-treatments are derived from in situ activation through both the structural transformation of NiPx@FePyOz into mixed hydroxide species, (Ni, Fe)OxHy, and the spontaneous removal of the insulating organic ligands from NPs to form a smooth and robust (Ni, Fe)OxHy/substrate heterointerface during the oxygen evolution reaction.

Graphical abstract: Phase-segregated NiPx@FePyOz core@shell nanoparticles: ready-to-use nanocatalysts for electro- and photo-catalytic water oxidation through in situ activation by structural transformation and spontaneous ligand removal

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Edge Article
Submitted
26 1 2018
Accepted
27 4 2018
First published
30 4 2018
This article is Open Access

All publication charges for this article have been paid for by the Royal Society of Chemistry
Creative Commons BY license

Chem. Sci., 2018,9, 4830-4836

Phase-segregated NiPx@FePyOz core@shell nanoparticles: ready-to-use nanocatalysts for electro- and photo-catalytic water oxidation through in situ activation by structural transformation and spontaneous ligand removal

M. Saruyama, S. Kim, T. Nishino, M. Sakamoto, M. Haruta, H. Kurata, S. Akiyama, T. Yamada, K. Domen and T. Teranishi, Chem. Sci., 2018, 9, 4830 DOI: 10.1039/C8SC00420J

This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported Licence. You can use material from this article in other publications without requesting further permissions from the RSC, provided that the correct acknowledgement is given.

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