Polypyrrole encapsulating TiB2 as newly-emerged electrocatalyst for highly boosted hydrogen evolution reaction. Issue 17 (1st December 2019)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Zheng, Shizheng; Fu, Yang; Zheng, Lijun; Zhu, Zhengyou; Yu, Guangtao; Yang, Dachi
• Is Part Of: Ceramics international. Volume 45:Issue 17(2019)Part B
• Page Start: 23298
• Page End: 23303
• Publication Date: 2019-12-01
• Subjects: Ceramic -- TiB2 -- PPy -- Hydrogen evolution reaction -- Mott-Schottky; Ceramics -- Periodicals; Céramique industrielle -- Périodiques; Ceramics; Periodicals; Electronic journals; 666
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ceramint.2019.08.028
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0272-8842

Abstract

Abstract: Ceramic TiB2, a layered metal diboride with remarkable conductivity and chemical stability, are potential electrocatalyst towards hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). However, high overpotential (>1 V) is required for pristine TiB2 to drive water splitting, which is less than satisfactory in future hydrogen economy. Herein, conductive polypyrrole (PPy) encapsulating TiB2 (TiB2 @PPy) has been developed via vapor phase polymerization, as the electrocatalyst for HER. Theoretically, the PPy shell serves both as electron-transfer channels to accelerate electron migration, and as Mott-Schottky centre to modify the electronic structure of TiB2 . Beneficially, more improved HER performance has been achieved with the overpotential of 432 mV at 10 mA cm −2, superior to that of pristine TiB2 (848 mV at 10 mA cm −2 ). Moreover, excellent stability is presented during 1000 CV cycles and 10 h constant evaluation. Our study provides a new avenue to create efficient HER electrocatalyst via conductive PPy engineering.