Easily-prepared bimetallic metal phosphides as high-performance electrode materials for asymmetric supercapacitor and hydrogen evolution reaction

Transition metal phosphides are very attractive because of the remarkable performance in energy storage and conversion. Herein, a series of bimetallic phosphides are synthesized through a one-step solid-state reaction. The obtained bimetallic phosphides show outstanding properties as supercapacitor electrode materials. Results show that the incorporation of secondary metal into phosphides tunes composition, electronic structure and then the electrochemical performance. And electrochemical properties are closely associated with the secondary metal content. Notably, the obtained NiCoP shows the best performance with 2011 F g⁻¹ at 1 A g⁻¹. And an asymmetric supercapacitor (ASC) based on NiCoP shows energy density of 47.6 W h kg⁻¹, along with 90.5% of capacitance maintained after 10000 cycles. In addition, the NiCoP also possesses great performance toward hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), which displays the lowest potential of 0.221 V vs. RHE and 0.173 V vs. RHE at 10 mA cm⁻² in 0.5 M H₂SO₄ as well as 1.0 M KOH, respectively. The excellent properties may result from the enhanced electrical conductivity, synergistic effects among metal elements and the increased local electrical dipole. The regulation of electronic structure through introduction of secondary metal atom sheds considerable light on realization and preparation of the bimetallic transition metal compounds as electrode materials.     

Nanosheet self-assembled NiCoP microflowers as efficient bifunctional catalysts (HER and OER) in alkaline medium

Developing greatly efficient and steady non-noble metal bifunctional electrocatalyst is of great significance for reducing the energy consumption. In this work, we found that the construction of hierarchical nanostructures was an effective strategy to improve the catalytic performance of bimetallic transition-metal phosphide (NiCoP). Herein, we successfully synthesized the Ni_1.5Co_1.5P catalyst with porous nanosheet self-assembled microflowers (MFs) structure by sequential solvothermal, annealing and phosphorization treatment, and then adjusted the morphology of the MFs by changing the Ni/Co molar ratio to optimize its electronic structure and increase the exposed active sites, thereby improving catalytic activity of the catalyst. Specifically, the Ni_1.5Co_1.5P/MFs only required overpotentials of 141 mV and 314 mV to reach a current density of 10 mA cm⁻² toward HER and OER, respectively. Impressively, during the continuous 12 h chronoamperometry measurement, the Ni_1.5Co_1.5P/MFs displayed good durability. In conclusion, this study provided a feasible strategy to explore and prepare low-cost non-noble metal bifunctional electrocatalysts.     

TiO2–CdS supported CuNi nanoparticles as a highly efficient catalyst for hydrolysis of ammonia borane under visible-light irradiation

TiO₂–CdS nanotubes (NTs) were used for the first time as a support to load metal nanoparticles (NPs) for the hydrolysis of ammonia borane (AB) which is a new strategy. The TiO₂–CdS NTs support was first synthesized using a hydrothermal method, and then the CuNi NPs were loaded using a liquid-phase reduction method. The synthesized samples were characterized by XRD, SEM-EDS, TEM, XPS, ICP, UV–Vis, and PL analyses. The characterization results show that the CuNi NPs existed in the form of an alloy with a size of ~1.2 nm and uniformly dispersed on the support. Compared with their single metal counterparts, the bimetallic CuNi-supported catalysts showed a higher catalytic activity in the hydrolysis of AB under visible-light irradiation: Cu_0·45Ni_0·55/TiO₂–CdS catalyst had the fastest hydrogen evolution rate with a high conversion frequency (TOF) of 25.9 mol_H2·mol_cat⁻¹ min⁻¹ at 25 °C and low activation energy of 32.8 kJ mol⁻¹. Cu_0.45Ni_0.55/TiO₂–CdS catalyst showed good recycle performance, maintaining 99.3% and 85.6% of the original hydrogen evolution rate even after five and ten recycles, respectively. Strong absorption of visible light, improved electron–hole separation efficiency, and metal synergy between Cu and Ni elements played a crucial role in improving the catalytic hydrolysis performance of AB. The catalyst prepared in this study provides a new strategy for the application of photocatalysts.     

Controlled synthesis of three-dimensional branched Mo–NiCoP@NiCoP/NiXCoYH2PO2 core/shell nanorod heterostructures for high-performance water and urea electrolysis

It is necessary to design reasonably efficient bifunctional electrocatalyst, but it is still a difficult problem for the water and urea electrolysis. Therefore, we firstly constructed a novel Mo–NiCoP@NiCoP/Ni_XCo_YH₂PO₂ (MNCP@NCP/Ni_XCo_YH₂PO₂) core/shell nanorod heterostructure by hydrothermal and two-step phosphating on nickel foam (NF). It is worth noting that Mo-doping could availably regulate the electronic structure of NiCoP(NCP), resulting in the increased exposure of the active center and the increased inherent activity of each site. Furthermore, a strategy of improving catalyst activity was proposed, that is, the NiCoP nanorod core and Mo–NiCoP/Ni_XCo_YH₂PO₂ nanorod shell was constructed by the two phosphating reactions to come into being mixed transition-metal phosphides (TMPs), thus improving the synergistic catalytic effect of the material. In addition, the water and urea electrolysis apparatus was installed from two MNCP@NCP/Ni_XCo_YH₂PO₂ electrodes to actuate a current density of 10 mA cm^?2, the necessary cell voltage was merely 1.348 V in 1.0 M KOH with 0.5 M urea for urea electrolysis, while the higher 1.522 V of cell voltage was required in 1.0 M KOH for water electrolysis, which is one of the best catalytic activities reported so far. Experimental results show that the oxyhydroxide is the real active site during urea electrolysis process. Density functional theory calculation shows that the doping of Mo and Co increase the water adsorption energy and conductivity of the oxyhydroxide material, so the water splitting performance of the catalyst is improved. Therefore, this work provided a new way to design bifunctional electrocatalysts by Mo-doping and two-step phosphating process.     

Facile synthesis of bimetallic Ni–Fe phosphide as robust electrocatalyst for oxygen evolution reaction in alkaline media

Bimetallic Ni–Fe phosphide electrocatalysts were in-situ synthesized through direct phosphorization of metal salts on carbon cloth (CC). The Fe dopant remarkably enhances the OER performance of Ni₂P in alkaline medium through the electronic structure modulation of Ni. The (Fe_0.5Ni_0.5)₂P/CC electrode, composed of uniform films coated on carbon fibers, delivers a low overpotential of 260 mV with a small Tafel slope of 45 mV·dec⁻¹ at the current density of 100 mA cm⁻², outperforming most reported non-noble electrocatalysts and commercial RuO₂ electrocatalyst. The (Fe_0.5Ni_0.5)₂P/CC also displays superior electrochemical stability at high current density. An appropriate Fe dopant level facilitates the in-situ transformation of Ni–Fe phosphides into active NiFeOOH during alkaline OER. This work simplifies the synthesis procedure of metal phosphides.     

CuO–NiO/Co3O4 hybrid nanoplates as highly active catalyst for ammonia borane hydrolysis

Dehydrogenation of hydrogen-rich chemicals, such as ammonia borane (AB), is a promising way to produce hydrogen for mobile fuel cell power systems. However, the practical application has been impeded due to the high cost and scarcity of the catalysts. Herein, a low-cost and high-performing core-shell structured CuO–NiO/Co₃O₄ hybrid nanoplate catalytic material has been developed for the hydrolysis of AB. The obtained hybrid catalyst exhibits a high catalytic activity towards the hydrolysis of AB with a turnover frequency (TOF) of 79.1 mol_H2 mol cat⁻¹ min⁻¹. The apparent activation energy of AB hydrolysis on CuO–NiO/Co₃O₄ is calculated to be 23.7 kJ.mol⁻¹. The synergistic effect between CuO–NiO and Co₃O₄ plays an important role in the improvement of the catalytic performance. The development of this high-performing and low-cost CuO–NiO/Co₃O₄ hybrid catalytic material can make practical applications of AB hydrolysis at large-scale possible.     

Partial phosphorization of porous Co–Ni–B for efficient hydrogen evolution electrocatalysis

Design of cost-effective and high-efficient electrocatalysts for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) is of vital significance for the current renewable energy devices — fuel cells. Herein, we report a facile strategy to prepare partial phosphorization of Co–Ni–B material with porous structure via a water-bath boronizing and subsequent phosphorization process at moderate temperature. The optimal atomic proportion of Co to Ni is investigated via physical and electrochemical characterization. As a result, Co₉–Ni₁–B–P exhibits the best HER activity, which require an lower overpotential of ~192 mV to deliver a current density value of 10 mA cm⁻² and a smaller Tafel slope of 94 mV dec⁻¹ in alkaline media, relative to P-free Co–Ni–B catalysts, Co₉–Ni₁–B–P with other Co: Ni proportion and mono metallic borides The excellent electrocatalytic performance of Co₉–Ni₁–B–P is mainly ascribed to the three-dimensional (3D) porous structure and the coordinate functionalization between the borides and phosphides. This work provides a promising strategy for the exploration of quaternary composites as efficient and cost-effective electrocatalysts for HER.     

Embedding Co2P nanoparticles into co-doped carbon hollow polyhedron as a bifunctional electrocatalyst for efficient overall water splitting

The reasonable design and construction of non-precious metal electrocatalysts with low cost and high performance is critical for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER). Herein, a facile polymerization-pyrolysis method is proposed to encapsulate Co₂P nanoparticles in co-doped hollow carbon shell by using ZIF-67 and P-containing polymers as precursor. The unique construction not only effectively prevents nanoparticles from detaching, showing good stability after long-term testing, but also provides abundant active sites, large surface areas and large pore volumes, enabling the electrolyte and electrode material to full contact. As expected, the Co₂P/NPSC-800 performs superior HER performance with low overpotential of 173 mV at 10 mA cm⁻² and excellent stability of 88% retention for 35 h and OER performance with low overpotential of 320 mV at 10 mA cm⁻², which endows Co₂P/NPSC-800 with good catalytic activity in overall water splitting. Furthermore, density functional theory (DFT) calculations reveal that the metallic property and the decreased reaction barriers of Co₂P can promote the catalytic reactions. This work offers an effective route in synthesizing other transition metal phosphides with high catalytic properties.     

Enhanced catalytic behavior of h-BN supported CuNi bimetallic catalysts in hydrolytic dehydrogenation of NH3BH3

The hydrolysis of ammonia borane (NH₃BH₃, AB) is an efficient strategy for high-purify hydrogen evolution. However, it is indispensable to develop a suitable catalyst because this reaction is kinetically infeasible at room temperature. In this work, we prepared a series of nano hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) supported CuNi bimetallic catalysts through a facile adsorption-chemical reduction procedure. The effects of various molar ratios of Cu to Ni and CuNi loadings on AB hydrolysis were investigated in details. Benefitting from the proper porous structure, the interesting alloy effect of Cu and Ni, as well as the synergistic effect between h-BN and CuNi, 20 wt% Cu_0.5Ni_0.5/h-BN displays the highest catalytic activity among the as-prepared catalysts. Apart from satisfactory durability, the corresponding hydrogen generation rate, turnover frequency at 303 K in base solution and apparent activation energy are 2437.0 mL g^?1 min^?1, 6.33 min^?1 and 23.02 kJ mol^?1, respectively, which are very outstanding compared with many previous results. Our work not only provides a proper non-precious metal catalyst for hydrogen generation from the hydrolysis of chemical hydrogen storage materials but also offers a facile strategy for synthesizing metallic functional materials.     

In situ facile synthesis of bimetallic CoNi catalyst supported on graphene for hydrolytic dehydrogenation of amine borane

Well dispersed magnetically recyclable bimetallic Co_xNi_1−x (x = 0, 0.1, 0.3, 0.5, 0.7, 0.9, 1) nanoparticles (NPs) supported on graphene have been synthesized via a facile in situ one-step procedure, using the mixture of sodium borohydride (NaBH₄) and methylamine borane (MeAB) as the reducing agent under ambient condition. These NPs were composition dependent for catalytic hydrolysis of amine boranes. Among all the CoNi/graphene catalysts tested, the Co_0.9Ni_0.1/graphene NPs exhibit the highest catalytic activity toward hydrolysis of AB with the turnover frequency (TOF) value of 16.4 (mol H₂ min⁻¹ (mol catalyst)⁻¹), being higher than that of most reported non-noble metal-based NPs, and even many noble metal-based NPs. Moreover, the activation energy (E_a) value is 13.49 kJ/mol, which is the second lowest value ever reported for catalytic hydrolytic dehydrogenation of ammonia borane, indicating the superior catalytic performance of the as-synthesized Co_0.9Ni_0.1/graphene catalysts. Additionally, Compared with other reducing agents, such as NaBH₄, AB, MeAB, and the mixture of NaBH₄ and AB, the as-synthesized Co_0.9Ni_0.1/graphene catalysts reduced by the mixture of NaBH₄ and MeAB exert the highest catalytic activity. The Co_0.9Ni_0.1 NPs supported on graphene exhibit higher catalytic activity than catalysts with other conventional supports, such as SiO₂, carbon black, and γ-Al₂O₃. Furthermore, the as-synthesized Co_0.9Ni_0.1/graphene NPs show good recyclability and magnetically reusability for the hydrolytic dehydrogenation of amine boranes, which make the practical reusing application of the catalysts more convenient.     

Controlled synthesis of NiCoM (M=P,S, Se,O)–Ni3S2–MoS2 hybrid material as environmentally friendly water splitting catalyst

The study of high efficiency and low cost catalysts is of great significance to the overall development of electrochemistry. In this paper, NiCoM (M = P, S, Se, O)–Ni₃S₂–MoS₂ hybrid material was prepared by hydrothermal, calcination and hydrothermal three-step reaction method, and its hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER) in alkaline environment were studied and compared. The experimental results showed that at 10 mA cm^?2, the overpotential of NiCoP–Ni₃S₂–MoS₂ was only 140 mV for HER, while the overpotential of NiCoSe–Ni₃S₂–MoS₂ was only 160 mV for OER. Compared with other catalysts, the activity of NiCoP–Ni₃S₂–MoS₂ and NiCoSe–Ni₃S₂–MoS₂ was higher, and the chemical reagents needed for preparation were cheap and low cost. What is noteworthy is that the morphology of NiCoP–Ni₃S₂–MoS₂ material change after long time stability test for hydrogen evolution reaction, the change makes the performance of the samples toward a better direction. A series of characterization found that the surface of the NiCoP–Ni₃S₂–MoS₂ samples increased more holes and more active site, and did not produce new material after other characterization. Density functional theory calculation shows that the presence of this MoS₂ material accelerates the kinetics of hydrogen production and this Co₂P material enhances the conductivity of the material. Their synergistic effect makes the NiCoP–Ni₃S₂–MoS₂ catalyst exhibit enhanced hydrogen production activity. The bramble structure of NiCoSe–Ni₃S₂–MoS₂ allows the sample to have more active sites and higher electrocatalytic activity during the OER process. This experiment provides new insights into the preparation of robust water splitting catalysts by simple methods.     

Synergistic catalysis of MCM-41 immobilized Cu–Ni nanoparticles in hydrolytic dehydrogeneration of ammonia borane

Bimetallic Cu–Ni nanoparticles (NPs) were successfully immobilized in MCM-41 using a simple liquid impregnation-reduction method. All the resulting composites Cu–Ni/MCM-41 catalysts with various contents of Cu–Ni, and in particular Cu_0.2Ni_0.8/MCM-41 sample, outperform the activity of monometallic Cu and Ni counterparts and pure bimetallic Cu_0.2Ni_0.8 NPs in hydrolytic dehydrogeneration of ammonia borane (AB) at room temperature. The Cu_0.2Ni_0.8/MCM-41 catalyst exhibits excellent catalytic activity with a total turnover frequency (TOF) value of 10.7 mol H₂ mol catalyst⁻¹ min⁻¹ and a low activation energy value of 38 kJ mol⁻¹ at room temperature. In addition, Cu_0.2Co_0.8/MCM-41 also exhibits excellent activity with a TOF value as high as 15.0 mol H₂ mol catalyst⁻¹ min⁻¹. This obtained activity represents the highest catalytic active of Cu-based monometallic and bimetallic catalysts up to now toward the hydrolytic dehydrogeneration of ammonia borane (AB). The unprecedented excellent activity has been successfully achieved thanks to the strong bimetallic synergistic effects among the Cu–Ni (or Co) NPs of the composites.     

An alkaline-acid asymmetric electrolyzer using NiCoP/CoP/Co3O4 multi-shell hollow nanoflakes as cathode and Ag as anode to realizing energy efficient production of hydrogen and shape controllable silver oxide

Large scale hydrogen generation by water electrolysis is severely impeded by the high cost of noble metal electrode materials and the kinetic-sluggish anodic oxygen evolution reaction (OER). Here we design a MOF-derived NiCoP/CoP/Co₃O₄ multi-shell hollow nanoflakes as a low-cost cathode electrocatalyst for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), and replace the OER with more favorable silver oxidation reaction (AOR). The NiCoP/CoP/Co₃O₄ supported on carbon cloth (CC@NiCoP/CoP/Co₃O₄) endows an impressive low overpotential (η) of 90 mV at 10 mA cm⁻² and a low Tafel slope of 81.7 mV dec⁻¹ for HER in 0.5 M H₂SO₄ electrolyte. Coupling it with Ag electrode to forming an asymmetric alkali-acid electrolyzer exhibits superior performance with the requirement of a cell voltage of only 1.16 V to attain 10 mA cm⁻² with nearly 100% of Faradaic efficiencies for both H₂ and Ag₂O generation, showing dramatically lower voltage than that previously reported for conventional water splitting systems. In addition, the size and shape of Ag₂O can be controlled by manipulating current density. Our electrolyzer design provides not only an economical approach to produce H₂ and Ag₂O but also shows great promise for expansion into the electrosynthesis of other value-added chemicals.     

Synthesis of functional Ni2P/CC catalyst and the robust performances in hydrogen evolution reaction and nitrate reduction

The non-precious transition metal phosphides (TMPs) as robust and effective hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) catalysts have attracted enormous attention, due to the merits of earth-abundance, low price, desirable stability and high efficiency. However, the conventional preparation process of this kind of catalyst is inconvenient. Herein, we report a facile approach toward the fabrication of nickel phosphide (Ni₂P) assembled on carbon cloth (CC) via the coupling method of electroless plating and low temperature phosphorization. Then, the crystallinity, morphology and chemical component of fabricated self-supporting Ni₂P/CC catalyst employed for the HER process were characterized, and the HER property was successively evaluated in three types of electrolytes (i.e., acidic, neutral and alkaline solutions). The as-prepared Ni₂P/CC catalyst displays a remarkable HER performance, which can be corroborated by the small Tafel slope (b = 50 mV dec⁻¹), high exchange current density (j₀ = 6.6 × 10⁻² mA cm⁻²), acceptable overpotential (119 mV) to attain the current density of 10 mA cm⁻², as well as the superb stability (<5% decay after 24 h potentiostatic test) in 0.5 M H₂SO₄. In addition, it should be noted that the HER process of Ni₂P/CC catalyst can be competent for the reduction of nitrate from the solution, and an efficiency of 63.2% for this nutrient pollutant is achieved.     

Template confined construction of Fe–NiCoP/NiCoP/NF heterostructures for highly efficient electrocatalytic oxygen evolution reaction

Rational design of oxygen evolution reaction (OER) electrocatalysts with advance nanostructures and composition superiority is an urgent need to promote electrocatalytic property. In this research, we fabricate Fe–NiCoP/NiCoP/NF electrocatalyst for OER via the interfacial scaffolding strategy with Prussian-blue-analogue (PBA) followed by low-temperature phosphating. The cube-on-sheet multimetallic-TMPs-based nanoarchitecture of Fe–NiCoP/NiCoP/NF exhibits outstanding OER performance, which only requires the overpotential of 201 mV to achieve a current density of 10 mA cm⁻² and possesses good durability up to 50 h in 1.0 M KOH solution. The superior OER property of Fe–NiCoP/NiCoP/NF is mainly characteristic to the rich composition that optimizes the electronic structure and the cube-on-sheet multimetallic-TMPs-based nanoarchitecture which can facilitate more effective active sites exposure and ultimately promote charge transfer at the same time. This research provides a new strategy for the construction of advanced nanoarrays structure and the improvement of the electrocatalytic performance of polymetallic phosphides, which offers its promising applications especially in energy storage and conversion technology.     

Co3xCu3-3x(PO4)2 microspheres,a novel non-precious metal catalyst with superior catalytic activity in hydrolysis of ammonia borane for hydrogen production

Development of robust and cheap catalyst for fast hydrogen evolution from ammonia borane (AB) aqueous solution is an interesting and important topic in the field of hydrogen energy. Herein, a novel non-precious Co_3xCu_3-3x(PO₄)₂ catalyst possessing high reactivity in AB hydrolysis has been developed for the first time. By tuning the molar ratio of Co and Cu, a series of Co_3xCu_3-3x(PO₄)₂ with different x were synthesized and the catalytic behavior in AB hydrolysis was examined. At the optimal x of 0.8, an ultrahigh turnover frequency of 72.6 min⁻¹ was achieved. Additionally, the synergistic effect between Cu₃(PO₄)₂ and Co₃(PO₄)₂ was experimentally confirmed, and the reaction kinetics of AB hydrolysis catalyzed by Co_2.4Cu_0.6(PO₄)₂ were investigated. This work provides a simple route and some new insights for the fabrication of a cheap P-containing catalyst with robust catalytic performance.     

Heterogeneous cobalt phosphides nanoparticles anchored on carbon cloth realizing the efficient hydrogen generation reaction

Intrinsic activity modifying of electrocatalysts is crucial to realizing the excellent catalytic performance towards hydrogen evolution reaction. Herein, we demonstrate a highly efficient electrocatalyst based on heterogeneous cobalt phosphides nanoparticles. The ultrafine size of the as-prepared catalyst (∼5 nm) ensures the efficient extension of active sites. Furthermore, the incorporation of orthorhombic CoP and Co₂P contributes to the improvement of the inherent catalytic property. As a consequence, the as-prepared heterogeneous cobalt phosphides nanoparticles supported on carbon cloth exhibit impressive electrocatalytic activity, which only acquire a small overpotential of 90 mV at a current density of 10 mA cm⁻², and present a low Tafel slope (67.9 mV dec⁻¹), a large exchange current density (0.58 mA cm⁻²) as well as good durability. Therefore, this work provides a favorable guidance for exploring executable strategies to improve catalyst activity.     

Synthesis and electrochemical properties of Li[Ni0.8Co0.1Mn0.1]O2 and Li[Ni0.8Co0.2]O2 via co-precipitation

Spherical Li[Ni_0.8Co_0.2−xMn_x]O₂ (x = 0, 0.1) with phase-pure and well-ordered layered structure have been synthesized by heat-treatment of spherical [Ni_0.8Co_0.2−xMn_x](OH)₂ and LiOH·H₂O precursors. The structure, morphology, electrochemical properties, and thermal stability of Li[Ni_0.8Co_0.2−xMn_x]O₂ (x = 0, 0.1) were studied. The average particle size of the powders was about 10–15 μm and the size distribution was narrow due to the homogeneity of the metal hydroxide [Ni_0.8Co_0.2−xMn_x](OH)₂ (x = 0, 0.1). The Li[Ni_0.8Co_0.2−xMn_x]O₂ (x = 0, 0.1) delivered a discharge capacity of 197–202 mAh g⁻¹ and showed excellent cycling performance. Compared to Li[Ni_0.8Co_0.2]O₂, Li[Ni_0.8Co_0.1Mn_0.1]O₂ exhibited greater thermal stability resulting from improved structural stability due to Mn substitution.     

Solvothermal synthesis of Pd10–Ni45–Co45/rGO composites as novel electrocatalysts for enhancement of the performance of DBFC

In this research, three Pd decorated Ni and Co catalyst nanoparticle were synthesized on reduced graphene oxide (rGO) supports are synthesized through a facile solvothermal procedure. Borohydride oxidation reaction (BOR) activity and performance of prepared electrocatalysts respect to NaBH₄ oxidation is evaluated by various electrochemical techniques in the three-electrode and the fuel cell configuration. Among the prepared catalysts, Pd₁₀–Ni₄₅–Co₄₅/rGO exhibits the highest BOR activity. The cyclic voltammograms showed that the measured current at 0.5 V for the electrode of Pd₁₀–Ni₄₅–Co₄₅/rGO is as much as 108 mA cm⁻² higher than Pd₁₀–Ni₉₀/rGO and 185 mA cm⁻² higher than Pd₁₀Co₉₀/rGO. X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectra were employed to study the morphology and crystal structure of the prepared catalyst. The results of DBFC test show that the Pd₁₀–Ni₄₅–Co₄₅/rGO nanoparticles as anodic catalyst, enhanced power density to 50.4 mW cm⁻² which is 10.5% and 45.2% higher than power density of DBFCs with Pd₁₀–Ni₉₀/rGO (45.6 mW cm⁻²) and Pd₁₀Co₉₀/rGO (34.7 mW cm⁻²) anode catalysts, respectively. These results indicate that the competency of operating procedure for assembling nickel alloys electrodes can improve the activity of the prepared catalysts for BOR considerably.     

Constructing MOF-199 anchored RuMoP nanoparticles as a high-performance catalyst for boosting the hydrolysis of AB

Porous octahedral copper-based metal organic framework MOF-199 anchored with Ru, RuMo, RuP, and RuMoP nanoparticles (NPs) was fabricated by a simple liquid impregnation method and applied as a high-performance catalyst for the hydrolysis of ammonia borane (AB) at room temperature. Comparison of the catalytic activities of Ru@MOF-199, RuMo@MOF-199, RuP@MOF-199, and commercial Ru/C shows that RuMoP@MOF-199 owns a very high turnover frequency of 735.6 mol H₂ min⁻¹ (mol Ru)⁻¹ and a low activation energy of 46.9 kJ/mol. Loading RuMoP NPs onto MOF-199 owing to synergistic effects, functional, size, and support effects kinetically facilitates the oxidative cleavage of attacked H-OH and elevate the catalytic performance. Moreover, this catalyst shows satisfied durability after five cycles for the hydrolytic dehydrogenation of AB. The novel structural features and efficient performance would provide an essential reference for the utilization of high-performance catalyst development.