Finding inexpensive electrodes with high activity and stability is key to realize the practical application of fuel cells. Here, we report the fabrication of three-dimensional （3D） porous nickel nanoflower （3D-PNNF...Finding inexpensive electrodes with high activity and stability is key to realize the practical application of fuel cells. Here, we report the fabrication of three-dimensional （3D） porous nickel nanoflower （3D-PNNF） electrodes via an in situ reduction method. The 3D-PNNF electrodes have a high surface area, show tight binding to the electroconductive substrate, and most importantly, have superaerophobic （bubble repellent） surfaces. Therefore, the electrocatalytic hydrazine oxidation performance of the 3D-PNNF electrodes was much higher than that of commercial Pt/C catalysts because of its ultra-weak gas-bubble adhesion and ultra-fast gas-bubble release. Furthermore, the 3D-PNNF electrodes showed ultra-high stability even under a high current density （260 mA/cm^2）, which makes it promising for practical applications. In addition, the construction of superaerophobic nanostructures could also be beneficial for other gas evolution processes （e.g., hydrogen evolution reaction）.展开更多
基金This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China （Nos. 21271018 and 21125101）, the National Basic Research Program of China （No. 2011CBA00503）, the National High-tech R＆D Program of China （No. 2012AA03A609） and the Program for Changjiang Scholars and Innovative Research Team in University.
文摘Finding inexpensive electrodes with high activity and stability is key to realize the practical application of fuel cells. Here, we report the fabrication of three-dimensional （3D） porous nickel nanoflower （3D-PNNF） electrodes via an in situ reduction method. The 3D-PNNF electrodes have a high surface area, show tight binding to the electroconductive substrate, and most importantly, have superaerophobic （bubble repellent） surfaces. Therefore, the electrocatalytic hydrazine oxidation performance of the 3D-PNNF electrodes was much higher than that of commercial Pt/C catalysts because of its ultra-weak gas-bubble adhesion and ultra-fast gas-bubble release. Furthermore, the 3D-PNNF electrodes showed ultra-high stability even under a high current density （260 mA/cm^2）, which makes it promising for practical applications. In addition, the construction of superaerophobic nanostructures could also be beneficial for other gas evolution processes （e.g., hydrogen evolution reaction）.
