Three-dimensional porous metal phosphide cathode electrodes prepared via electroless galvanic modification for alkaline water electrolysis

Green hydrogen production from water electrolysis is crucial to propelling power-to-X strategies, and a central role in this strategy depends on innovative catalysts used in different electrolyzer technologies. The present study combines galvanic replacement and low-temperature annealing to construc...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Sustainable energy & fuels 2023-06, Vol.7 (12), p.2830-2840
Main Authors: Sasidharan, Sankar, Illathvalappil, Rajith, Aravindh, S. Assa, Kuroki, Hidenori, Anilkumar, Gopinathan M., Yamaguchi, Takeo
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Alkaline water
Catalysts
Cathodes
Durability
Electrodes
Electrolysis
First principles
Green hydrogen
Hydrogen
Hydrogen evolution reactions
Hydrogen production
Low temperature
Mathematical analysis
Metal foams
Nickel
Phosphides
Platinum
Ruthenium
Surface properties
Water splitting
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Summary:Green hydrogen production from water electrolysis is crucial to propelling power-to-X strategies, and a central role in this strategy depends on innovative catalysts used in different electrolyzer technologies. The present study combines galvanic replacement and low-temperature annealing to construct a self-supported and low Ru-loaded metal phosphide electrode for efficient alkaline hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). The non-platinum electrode (catalyst + porous transport layers) fabricated over three-dimensional nickel foam (Ni 2 P–Ru/NF) yielded an overpotential of 40 mV for 10 mA cm −2 in 1 M KOH during the HER and also demonstrated excellent durability under varying conditions for 48 h. A comprehensive analysis of surface characteristics followed by first principles calculations specified the factors, surface modification and active sites favoring excellent HER performance for Ni 2 P–Ru/NF. The most favorable hydrogen adsorption (Δ G H* ) value, from DFT calculations, was identified for the Ru site in Ni 2 P–Ru, which was also very similar to the Pt/C system. Finally, the overall water splitting study performed using the Ni 2 P–Ru/NF catalyst as the cathode (Ni 2 P–Ru/NF‖IrO 2 ) showed the compatibility of the self-supported catalyst for efficient electrolysis with a noteworthy performance of 1.6 V for 10 mA cm −2 . The study showcases a potential pathway for applying very low Ru-loaded, self-supporting and carbon-free metal phosphide electrodes in commercial water electrolyzer systems for efficient green hydrogen generation.
ISSN:2398-4902
2398-4902
DOI:10.1039/D3SE00169E