Issue 14, 2019

Interfacial nickel nitride/sulfide as a bifunctional electrode for highly efficient overall water/seawater electrolysis

Abstract

Simple methods for fabricating highly active and stable bifunctional electrocatalysts for water electrolysis are essential for hydrogen production. A nickel nitride/sulfide electrode (NiNS), whereby Ni3N and Ni3S2 species are interfaced, is synthesized via a one-step calcination process of Ni foam with thiourea in a vacuum-sealed ampoule. The resultant NiNS can be employed directly as a bifunctional electrocatalyst for water splitting with excellent activity toward the hydrogen evolution reaction and oxygen evolution reaction. The significant electrocatalytic performance of NiNS is attributed to the interface between Ni3N and Ni3S2, which functions as the electrochemical active sites and is beneficial for dissociative adsorption of water molecules. Current densities of 12.4 mA cm−2 and 48.3 mA cm−2 at 1.8 V are achieved for overall water electrolysis under neutral pH conditions and in seawater, respectively, when NiNS is applied as both the anode and cathode. This performance is significantly better than that of the benchmark Ir–C and Pt–C electrode system. Accordingly, interfacial NiNS is a promising bifunctional candidate for realistic large-scale water electrolysis.

Graphical abstract: Interfacial nickel nitride/sulfide as a bifunctional electrode for highly efficient overall water/seawater electrolysis

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Communication
Submitted
19 Febr. 2019
Accepted
15 Marts 2019
First published
16 Marts 2019

J. Mater. Chem. A, 2019,7, 8117-8121

Interfacial nickel nitride/sulfide as a bifunctional electrode for highly efficient overall water/seawater electrolysis

Y. Zhao, B. Jin, A. Vasileff, Y. Jiao and S. Qiao, J. Mater. Chem. A, 2019, 7, 8117 DOI: 10.1039/C9TA01903K

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