Recent advances and future prospects on Ni_(3)S_(2)-Based electrocatalysts for efficient alkaline water electrolysis

Green hydrogen(H_(2))produced by renewable energy powered alkaline water electrolysis is a promising alternative to fossil fuels due to its high energy density with zero-carbon emissions.However,efficient and economic H_(2) production by alkaline water electrolysis is hindered by the sluggish hydrogen evolution reaction(HER)and oxygen evolution reaction(OER).Therefore,it is imperative to design and fabricate high-active and low-cost non-precious metal catalysts to improve the HER and OER performance,which affects the energy efficiency of alkaline water electrolysis.Ni_(3)S_(2) with the heazlewoodite structure is a potential electrocatalyst with near-metal conductivity due to the Ni–Ni metal network.Here,the review comprehensively presents the recent progress of Ni_(3)S_(2)-based electrocatalysts for alkaline water electrocatalysis.Herein,the HER and OER mechanisms,performance evaluation criteria,preparation methods,and strategies for performance improvement of Ni_(3)S_(2)-based electrocatalysts are discussed.The challenges and perspectives are also analyzed.

A novel multi-channel porous structure facilitating mass transport towards highly efficient alkaline water electrolysis

An advantageous porous architecture of electrodes is pivotal in significantly enhancing alkaline water electrolysis(AWE)efficiency by optimizing the mass transport mechanisms.This effect becomes even more pronounced when aiming to achieve elevated current densities.Herein,we employed a rapid and scalable laser texturing process to craft novel multi-channel porous electrodes.Particularly,the obtained electrodes exhibit the lowest Tafel slope of 79 mV dec^(-1)(HER)and 49 mV dec^(-1)(OER).As anticipated,the alkaline electrolyzer(AEL)cell incorporating multi-channel porous electrodes(NP-LT30)exhibited a remarkable improvement in cell efficiency,with voltage drops(from 2.28 to 1.97 V)exceeding 300 mV under 1 A cm^(-1),compared to conventional perforated Ni plate electrodes.This enhancement mainly stemmed from the employed multi-channel porous structure,facilitating mass transport and bubble dynamics through an innovative convection mode,surpassing the traditional convection mode.Furthermore,the NP-LT30-based AEL cell demonstrated exceptional durability for 300 h under 1.0 A cm^(-2).This study underscores the capability of the novel multi-channel porous electrodes to expedite mass transport in practical AWE applications.

Epitaxially Grown Ru Clusters-Nickel Nitride Heterostructure Advances Water Electrolysis Kinetics in Alkaline and Seawater Media

The epitaxial heterostructure can be rationally designed based on the in situ growth of two compatible phases with lattice similarity,in which the modulated electronic states and tuned adsorption behaviors are conducive to the enhancement of electrocatalytic activity.Herein,theoretical simulations first disclose the charge transfer trend and reinforced inherent electron conduction around the epitaxial heterointerface between Ru clusters and Ni_(3)N substrate(cRu-Ni_(3)N),thus leading to the optimized adsorption behaviors and reduced activation energy barriers.Subsequently,the defectrich nanosheets with the epitaxially grown cRu-Ni_(3)N heterointerface are successfully constructed.Impressively,by virtue of the superiority of intrinsic activity and reaction kinetics,such unique epitaxial heterostructure exhibits remarkable bifunctional catalytic activity toward electrocatalytic OER(226 mV@20 mA cm^(−2))and HER(32 mV@10 mA cm^(−2))in alkaline media.Furthermore,it also shows great application prospect in alkaline freshwater and seawater splitting,as well as solar-to-hydrogen integrated system.This work could provide beneficial enlightenment for the establishment of advanced electrocatalysts with epitaxial heterointerfaces.

SELECTIVE DISSOLUTION OF GOLD IN AN ALKALINETHIOUREA SOLUTION BY ELECTROLYSIS

Anodic polarization behavior of gold, silver, copper, nickel and iron in potentiostatic condition has been examined in an alkaline aqueous thiourea solution, where gold is hardly dissoluble normally. The addition of Na2SO3 into the solution can accelerate anodic dissolution of gold. The factors affecting selective dissolution of gold in the alkaline thiourea solution by electrolysis have been studied, and the optimum condition was obtained. In 0.1 mol/L thiourea solution of pH 12. 5 containing 0. 5 mol/L Na2SO3 and 2. 5% acetone, at the potential of 0. 34 V vs NHE, at the temperature of 323 K, the dissolved mass of gold anode with the exposed area of 1. 0 cm2 reached more than 300 mg·dm-3 within 30 min, and other metals such as silver, copper, nickel and iron could hardly dissolve.

Ternary layered double hydroxide oxygen evolution reaction electrocatalyst for anion exchange membrane alkaline seawater electrolysis

Anion exchange membrane(AEM)water electrolyzers are promising energy devices for the production of clean hydrogen from seawater.However,the lack of active and robust electrocatalysts for the oxygen evolution reaction(OER)severely impedes the development of this technology.In this study,a ternary layered double hydroxide(LDH)OER electrocatalyst(NiFeCo-LDH)is developed for high-performance AEM alkaline seawater electrolyzers.The AEM alkaline seawater electrolyzer catalyzed by the NiFeCo LDH shows high seawater electrolysis performance(0.84 A/cm^(2)at 1.7 Vcell)and high hydrogen production efficiency(77.6%at 0.5 A/cm^(2)),thus outperforming an electrolyzer catalyzed by a benchmark IrO_(2)electrocatalyst.The NiFeCo-LDH electrocatalyst greatly improves the kinetics of the AEM alkaline seawater electrolyzer,consequently reducing its activation loss and leading to high performance.Based on the results,this NiFeCo-LDH-catalyzed AEM alkaline seawater electrolyzer can likely surpass the energy conversion targets of the US Department of Energy.

Handily etching nickel foams into catalyst-substrate fusion self‐stabilized electrodes toward industrial‐level water electrolysis

The key challenge of industrial water electrolysis is to design catalytic electrodes that can stabilize high current density with low power consumption(i.e.,overpotential),while industrial harsh conditions make the balance between electrode activity and stability more difficult.Here,we develop an efficient and durable electrode for water oxidation reaction(WOR),which yields a high current density of 1000 mA cm−2 at an overpotential of only 284 mV in 1M KOH at 25°C and shows robust stability even in 6M KOH strong alkali with an elevated temperature up to 80°C.This electrode is fabricated from a cheap nickel foam(NF)substrate through a simple one-step solution etching method,resulting in the growth of ultrafine phosphorus doped nickel-iron(oxy)hydroxide[P-(Ni,Fe)O_(x)H_(y)]nanoparticles embedded into abundant micropores on the surface,featured as a self-stabilized catalyst–substrate fusion electrode.Such self-stabilizing effect fastens highly active P-(Ni,Fe)O_(x)H_(y)species on conductive NF substrates with significant contribution to catalyst fixation and charge transfer,realizing a win–win tactics for WOR activity and durability at high current densities in harsh environments.This work affords a cost-effective WOR electrode that can well work at large current densities,suggestive of the rational design of catalyst electrodes toward industrial-scale water electrolysis.

Introducing sulfur to nickel-iron selenide for high-efficiency alkaline seawater electrolysis

Seawater electrolysis is an effective way to obtain hydrogen(H_(2))in a sustainable manner.However,the lack of electrocatalysts with high activity,stability,and selectivity for oxygen evolution reaction(OER)severely hinders the development of seawater electrolysis technology.Herein,sulfur-doped nickel-iron selenide nanosheets(S-NiFeSe_(2))were prepared by an ion-exchange strategy and served as highly active OER electrocatalyst for alkaline seawater electrolysis.The overpotential is 367 m V,and it can run stably for over 50 h at 100 m A cm^(-2).Excitingly,the S-NiFeSe_(2)||Pt/C pair exhibits cell voltage of 1.54 V at 10 m A cm^(-2)under alkaline seawater conditions,which can run smoothly for 100 h without decay,and the efficiency of electricity-tohydrogen(ETH)energy conversion reaches more than 80%.Such electrode,with abundant accessible reactive sites and good corrosion resistance,is a good candidate for seawater electrolysis.Moreover,density functional theory calculations reveal that the surface sulfur atoms can activate the adjacent Ni sites and decrease the free energy changes of the associated intermediates at the adjacent Ni sites for OER,and the step of~*OH→~*O is the potential rate-limiting step.In this work,the true reactive site in nickel-iron selenides is the Ni sites,but not the Fe sites as commonly believed.

NiCoP nanoleaves array for electrocatalytic alkaline H2 evolution and overall water splitting

The development of non-precious, high-efficient and durable electrocatalysts for H2 evolution in alkaline media is highly desirable. Herein we report NiCoP nanoleaves array vertically grown on Ni foam for H2 evolution and overall water splitting via simple hydrothermal treatment and phosphorization. The selfsupported NiCoP nanoleaves architecture contributes to more exposed active sites, the smaller contact resistance between catalyst and substrate, faster ion diffusion and electron transfer. As a result, the optimized electrode requires only overpotentials of 98 and 173 mV to achieve current densities of 10 and100 m A cm-2 in 1.0 M KOH,respectively. Besides, used as both anode and cathode simultaneously, the electrode delivers current densities of 100 and 200 m A cm-2 at cell voltages of only 1.8 and 1.87 V, respectively. Moreover, the relatively high efficiency of about 11.4% for solar-driven water splitting further illustrates the application of our catalyst to sustainable development based on green technologies.

Self-supporting NiFe LDH-MoS_(x) integrated electrode for highly efficient water splitting at the industrial electrolysis conditions

Developing effective and practical electrocatalyst under industrial electrolysis conditions is critical for renewable hydrogen production.Herein,we report the self-supporting NiFe LDH-MoS_(x) integrated electrode for water oxidation under normal alkaline test condition(1 M KOH at 25℃)and simulated industrial electrolysis conditions(5 M KOH at 65℃).Such optimized electrode exhibits excellent oxygen evolution reaction(OER)performance with overpotential of 195 and 290 mV at current density of 100 and 400 mA·cm^(-2) under normal alkaline test condition.Notably,only over-potential of 156 and 201 mV were required to achieve the current density of 100 and 400mA·cm^(-2) under simulated industrial electrolysis conditions.No significant degradations were observed after long-term durability tests for both conditions.When using in two-electrode system,the operational voltages of 1.44 and 1.72 V were required to achieve a current density of 10 and 100 mA·cm^(-2) for the overall water splitting test(NiFe LDH-MoS_(x)/INF||20%Pt/C).Additionally,the operational voltage of employing NiFe LDH-MoS_(x)/INF as both cathode and anode merely require 1.52 V at 50mA·cm^(-2) at simulated industrial electrolysis conditions.Notably,a membrane electrode assembly(MEA)for anion exchange membrane water electrolysis(AEMWEs)using NiFe LDH-MoS_(x)/INF as an anode catalyst exhibited an energy conversion efficiency of 71.8%at current density of 400 mA·cm^(-2)in 1 M KOH at 60℃.Further experimental results reveal that sulfurized substrate not only improved the conductivity of NiFe LDH,but also regulated its electronic configurations and atomic composition,leading to the excellent activity.The easy-obtained and cost-effective integrated electrodes are expected to meet the large-scale application of industrial water electrolysis.

Tailoring synergetic catalytic interface of VPO/Ni_(2)P to boost hydrogen evolution under alkaline conditions

Design of the catalyst for efficient water dissociation and hydrogen recombination is paramount in enhancement of the alkaline water electrolysis kinetics.Herein,we reported a delicate hierarchical(VO)_(2) P_(2)O_(7)-Ni_(2) P@NF(VPO-Ni_(2) P@NF)hybrid catalyst that operated efficiently in alkaline media.The VPO and Ni_(2) P respectively act as the water dissociation promoter and the hydrogen recombination center,which synergistically propel water adsorption/dissociation and H intermediates recombination.The resulting synergistic interfaces between VPO and Ni_(2) P are verified to afford the catalyst an outstanding performance for hydrogen evolution reaction in alkaline media with an overpotential of 154 mV at 10 mA cm^(-2),Tafel slope of 65 mV dec^(-1),and remarkable durability.Furthermore,the catalyst presents the potential for overall water splitting.This work may shed fresh light on the high-performance electrocatalyst design and the application of VPO on water electrolysis.

降低可再生能源水电解制氢时氧中氢安全风险的措施

可再生能源水电解制氢在低负荷运行时氧中氢含量超标容易导致安全风险,针对碱液互混、隔膜两侧气体分压差和运行负荷对氧中氢含量的影响,分析认为主要是分离罐后的碱液互混所导致,其对指标影响的占比超过50%,提出了降低氧中氢安全风险的改进措施,在普遍使用的碱水电解制氢流程中,增加碱液脱气罐,同时对补水泵进行适应性增容改造,可消除碱液互混对氧中氢的影响,即使在10%的低负荷下运行也可实现副产氧气中氢含量1%以下,满足降低安全风险的同时,可更充分地适应可再生能源发电不稳定的能源特性。

碱水电解析氢NiMoP/Cu阴极材料的制备与性能研究

为研究高效经济的碱水电解析氢阴极材料,采用化学沉积､化学沉积后气相磷化和电化学沉积3种方式在紫铜片上制备不同的镍基三元非贵金属磷化物NiMoP,其中电沉积制得的NiMoP3/Cu电极性能最佳,在1 mol/L KOH溶液､10 mA/cm^(2)电流密度下,NiMoP3/Cu电极进行析氢反应(HER)的过电位仅为-114 mV;在10 mA/cm^(2)和100 mA/cm^(2)下测定400 h,HER的过电位无明显变化。结果表明,镀层中Mo质量分数的提高增大了电极材料的电化学表面积,降低了电化学反应阻抗,增强了其电化学性能。该高活性､高稳定性､低成本的NiMoP/Cu析氢电极材料在工业碱性水电解制氢中具有很大的应用潜力。

Exciting lattice oxygen of nickel–iron bi-metal alkoxide for efficient electrochemical oxygen evolution reaction

High efficiency,cost-effective and durable electrocatalysts are of pivotal importance in energy conversion and storage systems.The electro-oxidation of water to oxygen plays a crucial role in such energy conversion technologies.Herein,we report a robust method for the synthesis of a bimetallic alkoxide for efficient oxygen evolution reaction(OER)for alkaline electrolysis,which yields current density of 10 mA cm^(-2)at an overpotential of 215 mV in 0.1 M KOH electrolyte.The catalyst demonstrates an excellent durability for more than 540 h operation with negligible degradation in activity.Raman spectra revealed that the catalyst underwent structure reconstruction during OER,evolving into oxyhydroxide,which was the active site proceeding OER in alkaline electrolyte.In-situ synchrotron X-ray absorption experiment combined with density functional theory calculation suggests a lattice oxygen involved electrocatalytic reaction mechanism for the in-situ generated nickel–iron bimetal-oxyhydroxide catalyst.This mechanism together with the synergy between nickel and iron are responsible for the enhanced catalytic activity and durability.These findings provide promising strategies for the rational design of nonnoble metal OER catalysts.

In situ Hydrothermal Oxidation of Ternary FeCoNi Alloy Electrode for Overall Water Splitting

Exploring noble metal-free catalyst materials for high efficient electrochemical water splitting to produce hydrogen is strongly desired for renewable energy development.In this article,a novel bifunctional catalytic electrode of insitu-grown type for alkaline water splitting based on FeCoNi alloy substrate has been successfully prepared via a facile one-step hydrothermal oxidation route in an alkaline hydrogen peroxide medium.It shows that the matrix alloy with the atom ratio 4∶3∶3 of Fe∶Co∶Ni can obtain the best catalytic performance when hydrothermally treated at 180℃for 18 h in the solution containing 1.8 M hydrogen peroxide and 3.6 M sodium hydroxide.The as-prepared Fe_(0.4)Co_(0.3)Ni_(0.3)-1.8 electrode exhibits small overpotentials of only 184 and 175 mV at electrolysis current density of 10 mA cm^(-2)for alkaline OER and HER processes,respectively.The overall water splitting at electrolysis current density of 10 mA cm^(-2)can be stably delivered at a low cell voltage of 1.62 V.These characteristics including the large specific surface area,the high surface nickel content,the abundant catalyst species,the balanced distribution between bivalent and trivalent metal ions,and the strong binding of in-situ naturally growed catalytic layer to matrix are responsible for the prominent catalytic performance of the Fe_(0.4)Co_(0.3)Ni_(0.3)-1.8 electrode,which can act as a possible replacement for expensive noble metal-based materials.

面向海上风电的碱性电解水制氢系统热力学分析与优化设计

[目的]为了最大化利用电能与海水资源,针对海上风电的碱性电解水(AWE)制氢系统进行热力学分析和优化设计,研究工作压力、工作温度、碱液流量等对系统运行特性的影响。[方法]基于热力学、电化学及质量平衡模型,通过Aspen Plus软件建立碱性电解水制氢的热力学平衡模型,并与实验结果进行对比验证。[结果]结果表明,此方案碱性电解水制氢系统最佳工作压力和工作温度分别为9 bar和70℃,最佳碱液流量为1600 t/h。系统能量损失和㶲损随输入电流密度的增加而增加。碱性电解输入电流密度为3000 A/m^(2)时,系统能量效率和㶲效率分别为63.58%和57.27%,系统能量损失占总能量投入的26%,其中电解槽㶲损最高,占系统总㶲损的93.39%。[结论]通过该参数优化方法,可以得到合适的工作参数范围,能够为海上风电制氢参数选择提供参考。

超支化芘基聚芳基哌啶阴离子交换膜及其碱性电解水应用

以芘(py)为支化基团,基于对三联苯(TP)和N-甲基-4-哌啶酮(NM4P)单体,经强酸催化聚合得到超支化芘基聚三联苯哌啶聚合物(h-PTPE-py-n)。通过调整支化基团和三联苯的比例,可以得到不同支化度的超支化聚三联苯哌啶阴离子交换膜h-PTP-py-n。对该聚合物的化学结构、热性能、力学性能、离子传导性质进行了系统表征和测试,并将该类型膜应用于阴离子交换膜电解水(AEMWE)器件,评估其在实际工况下的运行基本表现。结果表明,芘引入导致的支化有效提高了阴离子交换膜的力学性能和尺寸稳定性,所制得的阴离子交换膜在80℃下的氢氧根离子传导率最高达到168.0 mS/cm,应用到AEMWE中时,h-PTP-py-n展示出了优异的导电性,在3 V条件下电流密度达到1.95 A/cm^(2),并且能稳定运行超过90 h。

在硫化钼基面上调控原子级协同活性中心用于碱氢演化反应

电解水技术是一种生产高纯氢燃料的方法,能够增强可再生能源发电系统的消纳能力.相较于质子交换膜(PEM)电解槽,碱性(ALK)电解槽可以使用非贵金属基催化电极,拥有更高的经济效益和市场占有率.然而,由于ALK电解槽处于质子稀缺环境,阴极氢气演化反应(HER)动力学变得更加复杂,需要快速解离水分子提供动态质子微环境.硫化钼(MoS_(2))纳米片边缘具有合适的质子吸附和演化的活性位点,是制备HER催化剂的潜力材料.但其二维基面原子由于配位饱和,显示出较弱的质子吸附能力.如何调控MoS_(2)基面以实现水解动力与质子吸附演化动力的集成,提升MoS_(2)纳米片的碱性HER活性,具有重要的科学和应用意义.本文提出了一种Co/O双原子植入策略,精准调控双活性位点及其电子结构,实现了水解离动力和质子吸附演化动力的高效耦联.首先,利用刻蚀和电沉积的两步实验法,在MoS_(2)基面上成功引入O和Co原子;随后,结合高分辨透射电镜、高角环形暗场-扫描透射电子显微镜、同步辐射X射线吸收精细结构谱等表征分析技术,精准识别了掺杂Co/O原子的位置和配位情况:O原子替换部分S原子,Co原子占据Mo原子的上方,构建出立体凸起的“O-Co-S_(2)”配位构型.催化在线的原位表征分析结果表明:该独特的“O-Co-S_(2)”原子基序发挥着水解离与氢演化反应协同催化效应.密度泛函理论计算结果也证实了该协同机制,其中Co位点促进水的解离反应,而S位点则有助于质子的转化生成氢气.因此,Co/O掺杂MoS_(2)催化剂(Co-O@MoS_(2))表现出较好的碱性HER活性:仅需81 mV的过电位,即可达到100 mA cm^(‒2)的电流密度,Tafel斜率低至42 mV dec^(‒1),在600 mA cm^(‒2)的高电流密度测试中运行300 h活性无衰减.上述碱性HER性能不仅远高于原始的MoS_(2)纳米片,而且也领先于部分已报道结果.综上所述,本文在MoS_(2)基面上构筑了原子级协同催化活性中心,显著促进了碱性HER反应性能,为原子活化工程开发先进催化剂提供参考,在原子级基序构造、表征和功能分析方面提供借鉴.

激光选区熔化制备梯度多孔镍电极及其电解水制氢性能

镍是目前应用最广泛的碱式电解水制氢电极材料之一。对镍电极进行多孔化处理,可有效提高其析氢效率并降低制氢能耗。然而,现有报道仅研究了孔隙率、平均孔径等对电极析氢性能的影响,缺乏针对梯度多孔电极孔隙尺寸和分布等影响的研究。为此,设计了4组具有不同孔隙尺寸和排布方式的多孔电极模型,并且采用激光选区熔化技术制备高精度成型电极样品,表征了样品的表面形貌、截面微观组织、电化学性能及稳定性,深入分析和研究了样品的析氢性能。结果表明,4组样品均呈现出粗糙微观表面,为析氢反应提供更多的活性位点。所有样品均表现出优异的电解稳定性,经测试后未见明显的性能衰减。梯度多孔结构有利于气液传质,减小气泡层电阻,降低析氢过电位。当电流密度为10 mA∙cm^(−2)时,梯度多孔样品的析氢过电位虽仅为406 mV,但气液传质效果较差,而气泡层电阻较大的均匀多孔样品的析氢过电位却高达766 mV。梯度多孔结构的构筑可显著提高镍电极的析氢动力学特性,梯度多孔样品的Tafel斜率最低为129 mV∙dec^(−1),明显低于均匀多孔电极的Tafel斜率168和211 mV∙dec^(−1)。析氢过程受Volmer步骤控制,尽管镍电极析氢动力学特性得到提升,但并未改变镍电极的析氢机理,所有样品的Tafel斜率均高于120 mV∙dec^(−1)。因此,引入梯度多孔结构可有效降低镍电极材料的析氢过电位,提升析氢性能。本研究为镍电极的结构优化设计及析氢性能的提升,提供了新思路。

孔结构对碱性电解水制氢复合隔膜的应用影响

通过浸没沉淀相转化法制备了两种结构形式的碱性电解水制氢有机/无机复合隔膜,即断面海绵状孔结构和指状孔结构。研究了两种孔结构对碱性电解水制氢隔膜的应用影响,通过评价两种孔结构隔膜的综合性能,包括阻气性、面电阻、机械性能和耐腐蚀性。结果表明:此两种结构形式的隔膜泡点(约0.335MPa)和抗拉强度(约28.52N/mm^(2))接近,但海绵状孔结构的隔膜具有更低的面电阻0.21Ω/cm^(2)和更优异的机械性能,经过耐磨和耐压后泡点降低幅度小,阻气性更高,而断面指状孔结构的隔膜面电阻0.25Ω/cm^(2),经过耐磨和耐压后泡点降低幅度较大,可以推断出两种结构形式的隔膜阻气方式有所不同,海绵状孔结构隔膜整体结构具有阻气效果,而指状孔结构隔膜主要靠致密皮层阻气,皮层损坏则失去阻气效果。另外,两种结构的复合隔膜耐碱腐蚀性相差较大,断面指状孔结构的隔膜经过长期高温碱液浸表面致密层消失,无阻气性。通过对比两种不同结构隔膜的性能,海绵状孔结构的隔膜综合性能更加优异,更适合碱性电解水制氢设备。

电解制氢产业的基础研究

文章从政策、技术、市场三个方面对电解制氢产业进行介绍,同时对我国氢能产业支持政策进行了介绍,通过对比现有的电解制氢工艺,对技术特性、优缺点及应用现状进行了总结,最后整理了国内外绿氢项目的发展现状,旨为同行了解电解制氢产业提供参考。