Fabrication of Ultra-Durable and Flexible NiPx-Based Electrode toward High-Efficient Alkaline Seawater Splitting at Industrial Grade Current Density |
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Authors: | Chengyu Fu Weiju Hao Jinli Fan Qiang Zhang Yanhui Guo Jinchen Fan Ziliang Chen Guisheng Li |
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Affiliation: | 1. School of Materials and Chemistry, University of Shanghai for Science and Technology, Shanghai, 200093 China;2. Fudan University, Shanghai, 200433 China;3. Institute of Functional Nano and Soft Materials (FUNSOM), Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Carbon-based Functional Materials and Devices, Joint International Research Laboratory of Carbon-Based Functional Materials and Devices, Soochow University, Suzhou, 215123 China |
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Abstract: | Designing nonprecious metal-based electrocatalysts to yield sustainable hydrogen energy by large-scale seawater electrolysis is challenging to global emissions of carbon neutrality and carbon peaking. Herein, a series of highly efficient, economical, and robust Ni–P-based nanoballs grown on the flexible and anti-corrosive hydrophobic asbestos (NiPx@HA) is synthesized by electroless plating at 25 °C toward alkaline simulated seawater splitting. On the basis of the strong chemical attachment between 2D layered substrate and nickel-rich components, robust hexagonal Ni5P4 crystalline modification, and fast electron transfer capability, the overpotentials during hydrogen/oxygen evolution reaction (HER/OER) are 208 and 392 mV at 200 mA cm−2, and the chronopotentiometric measurement at 500 mA cm−2 lasts for over 40 days. Additionally, the versatile strategy is broadly profitable for industrial applications and enables multi-elemental doping (iron/cobalt/molybdenum/boron/tungsten), flexible substrate employment (nickel foam/filter paper/hydrophilic cloth), and scalable synthesis (22 cm × 22 cm). Density functional theory (DFT) also reveals that the optimized performance is due to the fundamental effect of incorporating O-source into Ni5P4. Therefore, this work exhibits a complementary strategy in the construction of NiPx-based electrodes and offers bright opportunities to produce scalable hydrogen effectively and stably in alkaline corrosive electrolytes. |
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Keywords: | alkaline seawater splitting flexible and large electrodes long-term durability mild electroless plating Ni–P-based nanoballs |
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