Ni–Cr alloys for effectively enhancing hydrogen evolution processes in phosphate-buffered neutral electrolytes

Significant efforts have been made to develop highly active non-noble metal-based, affordable metallic and stable electro-catalysts for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). Strong acid and bases are now used in HER operations to achieve large-scale, sustained H₂ fuel production. However, few studies have utilized phosphate-buffered neutral electrolytes (PBS) in the field of neutral electrolyte technology. In this work, a certain alloys with a Ni–Cr basis have been produced as favorable components for the HER under neutral conditions. Additionally, the current investigations are emphasizing on the concentration of buffer phosphate species in the HER activity of various materials. By employing polarization and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) in neutral solutions, the electro-catalytic activity of new alloys on HER was evaluated. According to the preliminary findings, the examined Ni–Cr-based alloys show superior HER catalytic activity in neutral electrolytes. Additionally, the Ni–Cr alloy matrix with Fe and Mo added enhances HER electrocatalytic efficiency while lowering interfacial charge transfer resistance. Due to its low overpotential of ?297 mV @ 10 mA cm^?2 and Tafel slope of 94 mV dec^?1 in 1.0 M PBS media, the Ni–Cr–Mo–Fe alloy exhibits an efficient HER, suggesting that the Ni–Cr–Mo–Fe electrode will be a potential noble metal-free electro-catalyst for HER. The Ni–Cr–Mo–Fe cathode is a readily available and affordable material for the production of HER in neutral medium.     

Exsolution in Ni-doped lanthanum strontium titanate: a perovskite-based material for anode application in ammonia-fed Solid Oxide Fuel Cell

Hydrogen represents the most conventional fuel to feed Solid Oxide Fuel Cells (SOFCs) for green energy production. However, hydrogen has some drawbacks which prevent the large-scale implementation. Research identified ammonia as promising hydrogen vector. Hereby, highly dispersed Ni nanoparticle are deposited on La-doped strontium titanate by exsolution, greatly affecting the electrochemical performance. The exsolved Ni-doped lanthanum strontium titanate (La_0·45Sr_0·45Ti_0·90Ni_0.10-δO₃ – LSTNOH) was largely characterized. XRD analysis detected 10 mol% of Ni doping has been successfully incorporated in to the perovskite structure and then released when exposed in reducing environment. SEM images show Ni nanoparticles highly dispersed on the surface. XPS confirms the presence of Ni on the surface after the exsolution and allows to exclude other detrimental diffusion towards the bulk. A LSTNOH derived composite based anode has been investigated through impedance spectroscopy using ammonia and hydrogen as fuel. It demonstrates best performances compared to the one obtained by Ni infiltration on LSTO (La_0·45Sr_0·45TiO₃) composite scaffold. Polarization resistance, running on ammonia, decreases raising the temperature and the performances approach those in hydrogen.     

Study of Pb-based and Pb-free perovskite solar cells using Cu-doped Ni1-xO thin films as hole transport material

SCAPS solar cell simulation program was applied to model an inverted structure of perovskite solar cells using Cu-doped Ni_1-xO thin films as hole transport layer. The Cu-doped Ni_1-xO film were made by co-sputtering deposition under different deposition conditions. By increasing the amount of the Cu-dopant, the film crystallinity enhanced whereas the bandgap energy decreased. The transmittance of the thin films decreased significantly by increasing the sputtering power of copper. High quality, uniform, compact, and pin-hole free films with low surface roughness were achieved. The structural, chemical, surface morphology, optical, electrical, and electronic properties of the Cu doped Ni_1-xO films were used as input parameters in the simulation of Pb-based (MAPbI_3-xCl_x) and Pb-free (MAGeI₃) perovskite solar cells. Simulation results showed that the performance of both Pb-based and Pb-free perovskite solar cell devices significantly enhanced with Cu-doped Ni_1-xO film. The highest power conversion efficiency (PCE) for the Pb-free perovskite solar cell is 8.9% which is lower than the highest PCE of 17.5% for the Pb-based perovskite solar cell.     

Microstructures and properties of nickel-titanium carbide composites fabricated by laser cladding

In this work, Ni/TiC composites were synthesized by the laser cladding technique (LCT). A scanning electron microscope (SEM), X-ray diffractometer (XRD), microhardness meter, electrochemical workstation, and friction and wear tester examined the microstructure, surface morphology, phase structure, microhardness, wear, and corrosion resistances of the Ni/TiC composites. These results indicated the Ni/40TiC composite contained finer equiaxed crystals than the Ni and Ni/20TiC composites. In addition, numerous TiC particles in the Ni/40TiC composite impeded growth of the nickel crystals, which resulted in the fine microstructure of the Ni/40TiC composite. The Ni, Ni/20TiC, and Ni/40TiC composites exhibited face-centered cubic (f c c) lattices. The average microhardness values of the Ni/20TiC and Ni/40TiC composites were approximately 748 HV and 851 HV, respectively. The Ni/40TiC composite had the lowest friction coefficient (0.43) among all three coatings, and only some shallow scratches appeared on the surface of the Ni/40TiC composite. The corrosion potential (E) of Ni/40TiC exceeded the Ni/20TiC composite, and both were larger than the Ni composite, which indicated the Ni/40TiC composite had outstanding corrosion resistance and the Ni composite had poor corrosion resistance. The corrosion current densities (i) of Ni, Ni/20TiC, and Ni/40TiC composites were 5.912, 4.405, and 3.248 μA/cm², respectively.     

Influence of metal-support interactions on reaction pathways over Ni/CeZrOx–Al2O3 catalysts for ethanol steam reforming

This work investigates selective Ni locations over Ni/CeZrO_x–Al₂O₃ catalysts at different Ni loading contents and their influences on reaction pathways in ethanol steam reforming (ESR). Depending on the Ni loading contents, the added Ni selectively interacts with CeZrO_x–Al₂O₃, resulting in the stepwise locations of Ni over CeZrO_x–Al₂O₃. This behavior induces a remarkable difference in hydrogen production and coke formation in ESR. The selective interaction between Ni and CeZrO_x for 10-wt.% Ni generates more oxygen vacancies in the CeZrO_x lattice. The Ni sites near the oxygen vacancies enhance reforming via steam activation, resulting in the highest hydrogen production rate of 1863.0 μmol/g_cat·min. In contrast, for 15 and 20-wt.% Ni, excessive Ni is additionally deposited on Al₂O₃ after the saturation of Ni–CeZrO_x interactions. These Ni sites on Al₂O₃ accelerate coking from the ethylene produced on the acidic sites, resulting in a high coke amount of 19.1 mg_c/g_cat·h (20Ni/CZ-Al).     

Electrodeposition of the manganese-doped nickel-phosphorus catalyst with enhanced hydrogen evolution reaction activity and durability

Hydrogen technology is widely considered a novel clean energy source, and electrolysis is an effective method for hydrogen evolution. Therefore, efficient hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) catalysts are urgently needed to replace precious metal catalysts and meet ecological and environmental protection standards. Herein, Ni–Mn–P electrocatalysts are synthesized using facile electrodeposition technology. The influence of the Mn addition on the catalytic behavior is studied by the comprehensive analysis of catalytic performance and morphology of the catalysts. Among them, the Ni–Mn–P0.01 catalyst exhibits small coral-like structures, greatly improving the adsorption and desorption of hydrogen ions and reducing the overpotential hydrogen evolution. Consequently, overpotential at 10 mA cm^?2 electric current density is 113 mV, and the value of the Tafel slope achieves 74 mV/dec. Furthermore, the Ni–Mn–P catalyst shows long-time (20 h) stability at current densities of 10 and 60 mA/cm². The results confirm that the synergistic effect of Ni, Mn, and P accelerates the electrochemical reaction. Meanwhile, the addition of manganese element can change the micromorphology of the catalyst, thereby exposing more active sites to participate in the reaction, enhancing water ionization, improving the catalytic performance. This study opens a new way toward improving the activity of the catalyst by adjusting Mn concentration during the electrodeposition process.     

Structural Aspects of P2-Type Na0.67Mn0.6Ni0.2Li0.2O2 (MNL) Stabilization by Lithium Defects as a Cathode Material for Sodium-Ion Batteries

A known strategy for improving the properties of layered oxide electrodes in sodium-ion batteries is the partial substitution of transition metals by Li. Herein, the role of Li as a defect and its impact on sodium storage in P2-Na_0.67Mn_0.6Ni_0.2Li_0.2O₂ is discussed. In tandem with electrochemical studies, the electronic and atomic structure are studied using solid-state NMR, operando XRD, and density functional theory (DFT). For the as-synthesized material, Li is located in comparable amounts within the sodium and the transition metal oxide (TMO) layers. Desodiation leads to a redistribution of Li ions within the crystal lattice. During charging, Li ions from the Na layer first migrate to the TMO layer before reversing their course at low Na contents. There is little change in the lattice parameters during charging/discharging, indicating stabilization of the P2 structure. This leads to a solid-solution type storage mechanism (sloping voltage profile) and hence excellent cycle life with a capacity of 110 mAh g^-1 after 100 cycles. In contrast, the Li-free compositions Na_0.67Mn_0.6Ni_0.4O₂ and Na_0.67Mn_0.8Ni_0.2O₂ show phase transitions and a stair-case voltage profile. The capacity is found to originate from mainly Ni³⁺/Ni⁴⁺ and O^2-/O^2-δ redox processes by DFT, although a small contribution from Mn⁴⁺/Mn⁵⁺ to the capacity cannot be excluded.     

Ni activated Mo2C nanoparticles supported on stereotaxically-constructed graphene for efficient overall water splitting

Exploring cost-effective, high-efficiency and stable electrocatalysts for overall water splitting is greatly desirable and challenging for sustainable energy. Herein, a novel designed Ni activated molybdenum carbide nanoparticle loaded on stereotaxically-constructed graphene (SCG) using two steps facile strategy (hydrothermal and carbonization) as a bifunctional electrocatalyst for overall water splitting. The optimized Ni/Mo₂C(1:20)-SCG composites exhibit excellent performance with a low overpotential of 150 mV and 330 mV for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER), respectively to obtain a current density of 10 mA cm^?2 in 1.0 M KOH solution. In addition, when the optimized Ni/Mo₂C(1:20)-SCG composite is used as a bifunctional electrode for overall water splitting, the electrochemical cell required a low cell voltage of 1.68 V at a current density of 10 mA cm^?2 and long-term stability of 24 h. More significantly, the synergetic effects between Ni-activated Mo₂C nanoparticles and SCG are regarded as a significant contributor to accelerate charge transfer and promote electrocatalytic performance in hybrid electrocatalysts. Our works introduce a novel approach to design advanced bifunctional electrodes for overall water splitting.     

Synthesis and characterization of transition metal mixed oxide doped graphene embedded durable electrocatalyst for hydrogen evolution reaction

A promising electrocatalyst containing variable percentage of V₂O₅–TiO₂ mixed oxide in graphene oxide support was prepared by embedding the catalyst on Cu substrate through facile electroless Ni–Co–P plating for hydrogen evolution reaction. The solvothermal decomposition method was opted for tuning the crystalline characteristics of prepared material. The optimized mixed oxide was well characterized, active sites centres were identified and explained by X-ray diffraction, high resolution tunnelling electron microscopy, scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy dispersive X-ray and X-ray photon spectroscopy analysis. The structural and electronic characteristics of material was done by fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and the electrochemical behaviour of the prepared material was evaluated by using Tafel plot, electrochemical impedance analysis, linear sweep voltammetry, open circuit analysis and chronoamperometry measurements. The results show the enhanced catalytic activity of Ni–Co–P than pure Ni–P plate, due to synergic effect. Moreover, the prepared mixed oxide incorporated Ni–Co–P plate has a high activity towards HER with low over potential of 101 mV, low Tafel slope of 36 mVdec^?1, high exchange current density of 9.90 × 10^?2 Acm^?2.