Key Words:GRAPHENE; ARRAYS; NANOPARTICLES; NANOSHEETS; FOAM
Abstract:Design and construction of efficient and robust electrocatalystsfor the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) are of great importancefor renewable energy technologies, but challenge remains for the large-scalecommercial application. The good stability and large electrochemicalactive area of nanomaterials have been widely studied in the fieldof energy storage and conversion. Regulating the d band electronicstructure has been considered as a powerful approach to boost theHER activity. Herein, an efficient electrocatalyst comprising Ni nanoparticlesanchored on the N-doped carbon matrix derived from a fullerene/nickeltetraphenylporphyrin (C-60/NiTPP) nanoflower assembly wasfabricated successfully. The as-synthesized Ni(TPP)/NC exhibited promisingHER activity under alkaline condition. To deliver a current densityof 10 mA cm(-2), it required an overpotential of 114mV along with a nearly 100% Faradaic efficiency. Both experimentaland density functional theory calculation results revealed that thepyrrolic N could modulate the 3d band center of Ni sites in Ni(TPP)/NC,which facilitate the adsorption of water molecules and desorptionof hydrogen intermediates, leading to the reduced kinetic energy barrierand enhanced electrocatalytic HER activity. This work would provideuseful guidance for designing and developing efficient electrocatalystsfor hydrogen production.
Volume:6
Issue:13
Translation or Not:no