Scalable Two-Step Synthesis of Nickel Iron Phosphide Electrodes for Stable and Efficient Electrocatalytic Hydrogen Evolution

• The development of efficient, durable, and inexpensive hydrogen evolution electrodes remains a key challenge for realizing a sustainable H-2 fuel production via electrocatalytic water splitting. Herein, nickel-iron phosphide porous films with precisely controlled metal content were synthesized on Ti foil using a simple and scalable two-step strategy of spray-pyrolysis deposition followed by low-temperature phosphidation. The nickel-iron phosphide of an optimized Ni:Fe ratio of 1:4 demonstrated excellent overall catalytic activity for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) in 0.5 M H2SO4, achieving current densities of -10 and -30 mA cm(-2) at overpoteritials of 101 and 123 mV, respectively, with a Tafel slope of 43 mV dec(-1). Detailed analysis obtained by X-ray diffraction, electron microscopy, electrochemistry, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy revealed that the superior overall HER activity of nickel iron phosphide as compared to nickel phosphide and iron phosphide was a combined effect of differences in the morphology (real surface area) and the intrinsic catalytic properties (electronic structure). Together with a long-term stability and a near-100% Faradaic efficiency, the nickel-iron phosphide electrodes produced in this study provide blueprints for large-scale H-2 production.

Subject headings

NATURVETENSKAP  -- Kemi -- Materialkemi (hsv//swe)

NATURAL SCIENCES  -- Chemical Sciences -- Materials Chemistry (hsv//eng)

NATURVETENSKAP  -- Kemi -- Fysikalisk kemi (hsv//swe)

NATURAL SCIENCES  -- Chemical Sciences -- Physical Chemistry (hsv//eng)

Publication and Content Type

ref (subject category)

art (subject category)