A pillar-layered Ni2P–Ni5P4–CoP array derived from a metal–organic framework as a bifunctional catalyst for efficient overall water splitting

Abstract

Interfacial engineering emerges as a potent strategy for regulating the catalytic reactivity of metal phosphides. Developing a facile and cost-effective method to construct bifunctional metal phosphides for highly efficient electrochemical overall water splitting remains an essential and challenging issue. Here, a multiphase transition metal phosphide is constructed through the direct phosphorization of a Ni–Co metal–organic framework grown on nickel foam (Ni–Co-MOF/NF), which is prepared by utilizing nickel foam as conductive substrate and nickel source. The resulting transition metal phosphide manifests a pillar-layered morphology, wherein CoP, Ni2P, and Ni5P4 nanoparticles are embedded within each carbon sheet and these carbon sheets assemble into a pillar-shaped structure on the nickel foam (Ni2P–Ni5P4–CoP–C/NF). The heterogeneous Ni2P-Ni5P4–CoP–C/NF with multiple interfaces serves as a highly efficient bifunctional electrocatalyst with overpotentials of −100 mV and 293 mV in the hydrogen evolution reaction and oxygen evolution reaction, respectively, at 50 mA cm−2 in alkaline media. This superior catalytic performance should mainly be ascribed to its enriched active centers and multiphase synergy. When directly applied for alkaline overall water splitting, the Ni2P–Ni5P4–CoP–C/NF couple demonstrates satisfactory activity (1.55 V @10 mA cm−2) along with sustained durability over 18 hours. This method brings fresh enlightenment to the economical and controllable preparation of multi-metal phosphides for energy conversion.

Graphical abstract: A pillar-layered Ni2P–Ni5P4–CoP array derived from a metal–organic framework as a bifunctional catalyst for efficient overall water splitting

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
21 Mar 2024
Accepted
25 Apr 2024
First published
26 Apr 2024

Dalton Trans., 2024, Advance Article

A pillar-layered Ni2P–Ni5P4–CoP array derived from a metal–organic framework as a bifunctional catalyst for efficient overall water splitting

Q. Ni, Z. Zhu, Y. Wang, C. Jiang, M. Wang and X. Zhang, Dalton Trans., 2024, Advance Article , DOI: 10.1039/D4DT00839A

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