An efficient Co₃S₄/CoP hybrid catalyst for electrocatalytic hydrogen evolution.

ABSTRACT: The development of efficient, universal and inexpensive electrocatalysts for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) is central to the area of sustainable energy conversion. Considering the Co-based sulfides/phosphides have the same catalytic mechanism with the hydrogenases occurring in nature. Here, a new catalyst based on Co₃S₄/CoP hybrid that is comprised entirely cheap and earthabundant elements, was first synthesized via a two-step method, the Co(CO₃)_0.5(OH)·0.11H₂O precursor was prepared by a hydrothermal method, followed by phosphidation and sulphidation under Ar atmosphere simultaneously. The resulting Co₃S₄/CoP hybrid material possessed porous core-shell structure with a homogeneous element distribution and large electroactive surface area (~21.04 mF cm^-2). More importantly, the nanostructured Co₃S₄/CoP electrode exhibits excellent HER properties in acid medium with a low onset overpotential of 34?mV, a small Tafel slope of 45?mV dec^-1, as well as a large exchange current density of 150 ?A cm^-2. These results obtained in this study indicate that the Co₃S₄/CoP hybrid nanorod is promising replacement to the Pt-based catalysts for H₂ production. Moreover, the synthetic method presented in this work can provide an efficient way to synthesis other nanocomposites.

SUBMITTER: Wang T 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5605511 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature