Bulk‐Heterojunction Electrocatalysts in Confined Geometry Boosting Stable, Acid/Alkaline‐Universal Water Electrolysis (in EN)
Abstract
Alkaline water splitting electrocatalysts have been studied for decades; however, many difficulties remain for commercialization, such as sluggish hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) kinetics and poor catalytic stability. Herein, by mimicking the bulk‐heterojunction morphology of conventional organic solar cells, a uniform 10 nm scale nanocube is reported that consists of subnanometer‐scale heterointerfaces between transition metal phosphides and oxides, which serves as an alkaline water splitting electrocatalyst; showing great performance and stability toward HER and oxygen evolution reaction (OER). Interestingly, the nanocube electrocatalyst reveals acid/alkaline independency from the synergistic effect of electrochemical HER (cobalt phosphide) and thermochemical water dissociation (cobalt oxide). From the spray coating process, nanocube electrocatalyst spreads uniformly on large scale (≈6.6 × 5.6 cm2) and is applied to alkaline water electrolyzers, stably delivering 600 mA cm−2current for >100 h. The photovoltaic‐electrochemical (PV‐EC) system, including silicon PV cells, achieves 11.5% solar‐to‐hydrogen (STH) efficiency stably for >100 h.
- Research Organization:
- SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Menlo Park, CA (United States). Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Lightsource (SSRL)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE
- Grant/Contract Number:
- AC02-76SF00515
- OSTI ID:
- 2580550
- Alternate ID(s):
- OSTI ID: 2290390
- Journal Information:
- Advanced Energy Materials, Journal Name: Advanced Energy Materials Journal Issue: 14 Vol. 14; ISSN 1614-6832
- Publisher:
- WileyCopyright Statement
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- EN
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