title: Ni2P nanosheets/Ni foam composite electrode for long-lived and pH-tolerable electrochemical hydrogen generation.
abstract: The continuous consumption of fossil fuels and accompanying environmental problems are driving the exploration of low-cost and effective electrocatalysts to produce clean hydrogen. A Ni2P nanosheets/Ni foam composite, as a non-noble metal electrocatalyst, has been prepared through a facile chemical conversion pathway using surface oxidized Ni foam as precursor and low concentration of trioctylphosphine (TOP) as a phosphorus source. Further investigation shows the oxidized layer of Ni foam can orient the formation of Ni2P nanosheets and facilitate the reaction with TOP. The Ni2P/Ni, acting as a robust 3D self-supported superaerophobic hydrogen-evolving cathode, shows superior catalytic performance, stability, and durability in aqueous media over a wide pH value of 0-14, making it a versatile catalyst system for hydrogen generation. Such highly active, stable, abundant, and low-cost materials hold enormously promising potential applications in the fields of catalysis, energy conversion, and storage.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, School of Science, Tianjin University, and Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemical Science and Engineering (Tianjin) , 92th Weijin Road, Tianjin 300072, China.
authors.forename: Yanmei
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Shi
authors.forename: You
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Sifei
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zhuo
authors.forename: Jingfang
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Bin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Zhang
keywords: electrocatalysts; hydrogen evolution; nanomaterials; self-supported; transition metal phosphide