Modulating the electronic structure of ternary transition metal phosphide for enhanced hydrogen evolution activity. Issue 48 (30th November 2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Dong, Sheying; Tang, Huangcong; Wang, Kangkang; Zheng, Qian; Huang, Tinglin
• Is Part Of: Dalton transactions. Volume 51:Issue 48(2022)
• Page Start: 18722
• Page End: 18733
• Publication Date: 2022-11-30
• Subjects: Chemistry, Inorganic -- Periodicals; Chemistry, Physical and theoretical -- Periodicals; Chemistry, Inorganic -- Periodicals; 546.05
• DOI: 10.1039/d2dt03083g
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1477-9226

Abstract

Abstract : Ternary FeCoNiP encapsulated in a porous carbon shell, coupled with N-doped carbon nanotubes (FeCoNiP@NCNTs) are synthesized for improving HER performance. Abstract : Rationally designing ternary transition-metal phosphides (TMPs) for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) is desirable but remains a significant challenge. Herein, ternary FeCoNiP encapsulated in a porous carbon shell, coupled with N-doped carbon nanotubes (FeCoNiP@NCNTs) are synthesized via a simple pyrolysis–phosphatization strategy derived from FeCoNi-MOF-100@dicyandiamide. Because Co/Ni enters the FeP lattice, FeCoNiP@NCNTs show a favorable catalytic performance towards the HER with low overpotential values of 86.7 and 233.5 mV at 10 mA cm −2 in acidic and alkaline media, respectively, surpassing the HER performance of FeP@NCNTs, FeCoP@NCNTs, and FeNiP@NCNTs. Impressively, FeCoNiP@NCNTs display adequate acid-resistance capacity during the HER process, with nearly negligible decay due to the thin graphitized carbon shell structure with a thickness of 11.5–20.3 nm. The results of experiments, structural characterization, and density functional theory (DFT) calculations demonstrate that Co/Ni co-doping can modulate the adsorption and dissociation processes of H + and downshift the d-band center of FeP. This work proposes a strategy for fabricating ternary TMP catalysts with heterogeneous structures for the HER.