Recent advances in cobalt phosphide-based materials for electrocatalytic water splitting:From catalytic mechanism and synthesis method to optimization design

Electrochemical water splitting has long been considered an effective energy conversion technology for trans-ferring intermittent renewable electricity into hydrogen fuel,and the exploration of cost-effective and high-performance electrocatalysts is crucial in making electrolyzed water technology commercially viable.Cobalt phosphide(Co-P)has emerged as a catalyst of high potential owing to its high catalytic activity and durability in water splitting.This paper systematically reviews the latest advances in the development of Co-P-based materials for use in water splitting.The essential effects of P in enhancing the catalytic performance of the hydrogen evolution reaction and oxygen evolution reaction are first outlined.Then,versatile synthesis techniques for Co-P electrocatalysts are summarized,followed by advanced strategies to enhance the electrocatalytic performance of Co-P materials,including heteroatom doping,composite construction,integration with well-conductive sub-strates,and structure control from the viewpoint of experiment.Along with these optimization strategies,the understanding of the inherent mechanism of enhanced catalytic performance is also discussed.Finally,some existing challenges in the development of highly active and stable Co-P-based materials are clarified,and pro-spective directions for prompting the wide commercialization of water electrolysis technology are proposed.

Molybdenum disulfide as hydrogen evolution catalyst:From atomistic to materials structure and electrocatalytic performance

Hydrogen production via water electrolysis defines the novel energy vector for achieving a sustainable society.However,the true progress of the given technology is hindered by the sluggish and complex hydrogen evolution reaction(HER)occurring at the cathodic side of the system where overpriced and scarce Pt-based electrocatalysts are usually employed.Therefore,efficient platinum group metals(PGMs)-free electrocatalysts to carry out HER with accelerated kinetics are urgently demanded.In this scenario,molybdenum disulfide(MoS_(2))owing to efficacious structural attributes and optimum hydrogen-binding free energy(ΔG_(H*))is emerging as a reliable alternative to PGMs.However,the performance of MoS_(2)-based electrocatalysts is still far away from the benchmark performance.The HER activity of MoS_(2)can be improved by engineering the structural parameters i.e.,doping,defects inducement,modulating the electronic structure,stabilizing the 1 T phase,creating nanocomposites,and altering the morphologies using appropriate fabrication pathways.Here,we have comprehensively reviewed the majority of the scientific endeavors published in recent years to uplift the HER activity of MoS_(2)-based electrocatalysts using different methods.Advancements in the major fabrication strategies including hydrothermal synthesis methods,chemical vapor deposition,exfoliation techniques,plasma treatments,chemical methodologies,etc.to tune the structural parameters and hence their ultimate influence on the electrocatalytic activity in acidic and/or alkaline media have been thoroughly discussed.This study can provide encyclopedic insights about the fabrication routes that have been pursued to improve the HER performance of MoS_(2)-based electrocatalysts.

A rational preparation strategy of phase tuned MoO_(3) nanostructures for high-performance all-solid asymmetric supercapacitor

In this work,phase and morphology-tuned MoO_(3) nanostructures are synthesized through a novel modified co-precipitation method,and their electrochemical properties are investigated.For the first time,such a simple surfactant-assisted synthesis process aided by minor temperature variations is reported which results in phase transition of the nanoparticles from h-MoO_(3) nano-rods to a-MoO_(3) nano-flakes.The nanostructures thus developed are highly porous and crystalline with significantly large specific surface area as compared to previous literature.The theoretical bandgap energy of the optimized sample calculated using Perdew-Zunger local density approximation(LDA) is in good agreement with the experimental findings.An overall structural,morphological,and surface-behavioural analysis predicts the electrochemical superiority in 2D a-MoO_(3).The cyclic voltammetry and galvano-potentiometry measurements of 2D a-MoO_(3) in the potential window of-0.6 V to +0.2 V present the highest pseudosupercapacitive response with a maximum specific capacitance of 829 F g^(-1)at 2 A g^(-1)as compared to h-MoO_(3) (452 F g^(-1)) and h@a-MoO_(3) (783 F g^(-1)).Thus,the MoO_(3) 2D nanostructures synthesized through our novel synthesis technique display excellent specific capacitance as compared to previous reported data.Additionally,a-MoO_(3) exhibits a galvanostatic charging-discharging cyclic stability of about 91%after 2000 cycles,indicating that it can serve as an excellent electrode material for supercapacitors.A solid-state asymmetric supercapacitor device is successfully constructed using a-MoO_(3) which can light up 4 red LEDs for 10 s.The specific energy density of the device reaches a maximum value of 36.3 W h kg^(-1)at the power density of 50 W kg^(-1).

Determination of optimal geometrical parameters of peripheral mills to achieve good process stability

This paper focuses on optimization of the geo-metrical parameters of peripheral milling tools by takinginto account the dynamic effect. A substructure synthesistechnique is used to calculate the frequency responsefunction of the tool point, which is adopted to determinethe stability lobe diagram. Based on the Taguchi designmethod, simulations are first conducted for varying com-binations of tool overhang length, helix angle, and teethnumber. The optimal geometrical parameters of the tool aredetermined through an orthogonal analysis of the maxi-mum axial depth of cut, which is obtained from the pre-dicted stability lobe diagram. It was found that thesequence of every factor used to determine the optimal toolgeometrical parameters was the tool overhang length, teethnumber, and helix angle. Finally, a series of experimentswere carried out as a parameter study to determine theinfluence of the tool overhang length, helix angle, and teethnumber on the cutting stability of a mill. The same con-clusion as that obtained through the simulation wasobserved.