Professional Documents
Culture Documents
View Journal
ChemComm
Chemical Communications
Accepted Manuscript
This article can be cited before page numbers have been issued, to do this please use: Y. Yang, B. Chang,
S. Hao and Z. Ye, Chem. Commun., 2018, DOI: 10.1039/C7CC09007B.
Volume 52 Number 1 4 January 2016 Pages 1–216 This is an Accepted Manuscript, which has been through the
Royal Society of Chemistry peer review process and has been
accepted for publication.
ChemComm
Chemical Communications Accepted Manuscripts are published online shortly after
www.rsc.org/chemcomm
rsc.li/chemcomm
Page 1 of 5 ChemComm
Please do not adjust margins
View Article Online
DOI: 10.1039/C7CC09007B
Journal Name
COMMUNICATION
Received 00th January 20xx, Bing Chang,a Shuai Hao,a Zhixiang Yea and Yingchun Yang*a
Accepted 00th January 20xx
www.rsc.org/
Energy‐efficient electrochemical water splitting is one important metal matrix.10‐22 Alloying Ni with transition metal can modify the
way to produce hydrogen fuel but still faces many challenges. In overall electrode kinetics and therefore alter the activation energy of
this communication, we report that an amorphous Ni‐P alloy shell HER and OER.12,19 The effect of alloying on electrode activity
electrodeposit on CuO nanowire array supported on copper foam exceedingly depends on composition, structure, morphology etc.15‐
(CuO@Ni‐P NA/CF) is used for efficient water splitting in alkaline 17 It is well‐established that a 3D nanoarray catalyst not only
This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry 20xx J. Name., 2013, 00, 1‐3 | 1
Please do not adjust margins
ChemComm
Please do not adjust margins Page 2 of 5
View Article Online
DOI: 10.1039/C7CC09007B
COMMUNICATION Journal Name
scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images of CuO NA/CF reveal phosphate, which is also due to the oxidized Ni‐P shell.30,32 As
that the surface of Cu Foam (Fig. S1a) is fully covered by nanowires illustrated in Fig. S4c, the CuO exhibits a Cu 2p3/2 peak and Cu 2p1/2
array (Fig. 1b and S1b). Interestingly, the product still maintains peak at BEs of 933.8 and 953.8 eV, respectively, together with two
nanoarray feature after electrodeposit (Fig. 1c and S1c). Fig. S2 high‐intensity shake‐up satellites (those located at 942.4, and 963.3
shows the cross‐section image of CuO@Ni‐P NA/CF, the nanoarray is eV).28 In the O 1s region (Fig. S4d), two characteristic peaks appear at
about 4.8 μm high. Its energy‐dispersive X‐ray (EDX) spectrum 529.6 and 531.3 eV, which consist with the exposed metallic oxide
confirms the existence of Ni, P, Cu, and O elements (Fig. S3). The EDX struture and phosphate, respectively.32,33 All these results conclude
mapping of CuO@Ni‐P NA/CF image (Fig. 1d) analysis confirms the that the amorphous Ni‐P film is formed on the surface of CuO.
homogenous distribution of Ni, P, Cu, and O elements. Transmission
electron microscopy (TEM) and high‐resolution transmission
electron microscopy (HRTEM) images taken from the CuO nanowire
Published on 09 February 2018. Downloaded by Fudan University on 10/02/2018 00:11:35.
(Fig. 1e and 1g) show well‐resolved lattice fringes with an interplanar
distance of 0.23 nm indexed to the (111) plane of CuO. Fig. 1f and 1h
Fig. 2. (a) LSV curves of bare CF, CuO NA/CF, Ni‐P/CF, Pt/C, and CuO@Ni‐P NA/CF
for the HER in 1.0 M KOH with a scan rate of 5 mV s‐1. (b) Tafel plots of Pt/C, Ni‐
P/CF, and CuO@Ni‐P NA/CF for the HER. (c) LSV curves for CuO@Ni‐P NA/CF at 25
and 60℃ with a scan rate of 5 mV s‐1. (d) Multi‐current process of CuO@Ni‐P
NA/CF in 1.0 M KOH. The current density started at 50 mA cm‐2 and ended at 350
mA cm‐2, with an increment of 30 mA cm‐2. (e) LSV curves recorded from CuO@Ni‐
P NA/CF before and after 1000 CV cycles (from 0 to ‐0.3 V). (f) Time‐dependent
current plot for CuO@Ni‐P NA/CF at 0.1 V for more than 35 h.
The electrochemical HER activity for CuO@Ni‐P NA/CF (CuO@Ni‐P
loading: 2.9 mg cm‐2) was tested in 1.0 M KOH with a scan rate of 5
mV s‐1 using a standard three‐electrode setup. Bare CF, Ni‐P/CF, CuO
NA/CF and commercial Pt/C (20 wt% Pt/XC‐72) deposited on CF with
the same loading were also examined for comparison. In this work,
the ohmic potential drop (iR) losses from the solution resistance were
applied to all initial data unless specifically stated and all potentials
were reported on a reversible hydrogen electrode (RHE) scale.34,35 Fig.
Fig. 1. (a) XRD patterns of CuO@Ni‐P NA/CF, and CuO NA/CF. SEM images for (b) 2a shows their linear sweep voltammetry (LSV) curves. As observed,
CuO NA/CF and (c) CuO@Ni‐P NA/CF. (d) EDX elemental mapping of Ni, P, Cu, and
O for CuO@Ni‐P NA/CF. TEM and HRTEM images of CuO NA/CF (e), (g) and bare CF shows negligible HER activity within the investigated
CuO@Ni‐P NA/CF (f), (h).
potential window. Pt/C on CF exhibits superior activity toward HER.
The X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) spectrum of the CuO NA/CF is low active with an inapparent onset overpotential. Ni‐
CuO@Ni‐P NA/CF (Fig. S4) shows the existence of Ni, P, Cu, and O P/CF is highly active for the HER with the need of overpotential of 195
elements. As shown in Fig. S4a, the peaks at 852.3 and 869.7 eV are mV to achieve a catalytic current density of 30 mA cm‐2. In sharp
corresponding to metallic Ni arising from Ni‐P alloy,30 while the peaks contrast, CuO@Ni‐P NA/CF shows excellent HER catalytic activity
at 855.2 and 873.4 eV can be assigned to partially oxidized Ni‐P shell. with the need of overpotentials of 73 and 106 mV to afford current
The binding energies (BEs) of P 2p1/2 and P 2p3/2 appear at 129.3 and density 10 and 30 mA cm‐2. It is also lower than that of other reported
129.9 eV, respectively (Fig. S4b). The peak at 129.3 eV is attributed to non‐precious metal HER catalysts in alkaline media (Table S1). Its HER
the phosphide signal30,31 and the peak at 133.1 eV is assigned to performance in neutral media is unsatisfactory (Fig. S5). The HER
2 | J. Name., 2012, 00, 1‐3 This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry 20xx
Please do not adjust margins
Page 3 of 5 ChemComm
Please do not adjust margins
View Article Online
DOI: 10.1039/C7CC09007B
Journal Name COMMUNICATION
kinetics is also estimated by corresponding Tafel plots for these compared to bare CF, CuO NA/CF, and Ni‐P/CF. The oxidation peak at
electrodes (Fig. 2b). Pt/C on CF shows a Tafel slope of 42.8 mV dec‐1. 1.35 V observed for CuO@Ni‐P NA/CF and Ni‐P/CF is ascribed to NiⅡ
The Tafel slopes for CuO@Ni‐P NA/CF and Ni‐P/CF are 72 and 88.3 to NiⅢ.38 The CuO@Ni‐P NA/CF requires an overpotential of only 275
mV dec‐1, respectively. The HER activity is greatly improved at higher mV to reach 30 mA cm‐2. This overpotential is 130, 120, and 162 mV
temperature of 60 ℃, with the overpotential of 55 and 85 mV to less than that of Ni‐P/CF, CuO NA/CF, and bare CF, respectively. This
drive 10 and 30 mA cm‐2 (Fig. 2c), the results show that the higher value is much lower than that for previously reported (Table S2). This
temperature can enhance the HER catalytic activity to some extent. significant increase in catalytic activity may result from the synergistic
Fig. 2d exhibits a multistep chronopotentiometric curve for CuO@Ni‐ effects of CF and Ni‐P alloy, but its OER performance in neutral media
P NA/CF with the current being started from 50 to 350 mA cm‐2 (30 is equally disappointing (Fig. S7). RuO2 on CF still shows the best
mA cm‐2 per 500 s). The potential immediately levels off at ‐0.12 V at activity toward OER. Fig. 3b presents the corresponding Tafel plots.
the initial current value and remains unchanged for 500 s, and others RuO2 on CF shows a Tafel slope of 122.4 mV dec‐1. The Tafel slope of
Published on 09 February 2018. Downloaded by Fudan University on 10/02/2018 00:11:35.
Fig. 3. (a) LSV curves of bare CF, CuO NA/CF, Ni‐P/CF, RuO2/CF, and CuO@Ni‐P
NA/CF for the OER in 1.0 M KOH with a scan rate of 5 mV s‐1. (b) Tafel plots of Fig. 4. (a) LSV curves of water electrolysis for CuO@Ni‐P NA/CF‖CuO@Ni‐P NA/CF
RuO2/CF, Ni‐P/CF, and CuO@Ni‐P NA/CF for the OER. (c) LSV curves for CuO@Ni‐ and RuO2‖Pt/C in a two‐electrode configuration with a scan rate of 1 mV s‐1. (b)
P NA/CF at 25 and 60℃ with a scan rate of 5 mV s‐1. (d) Multi‐current process of Time‐dependent current plot water electrolysis for CuO@Ni‐P NA/CF‖CuO@Ni‐P
CuO@Ni‐P NA/CF in 1.0 M KOH. The current density started at 50 mA cm‐2 and NA/CF in a two‐electrode configuration with constant voltage of 1.79 V for 35 h.
ended at 350 mA cm‐2, with an increment of 30 mA cm‐2. (e) LSV curves recorded
from CuO@Ni‐P NA/CF before and after 1000 CV cycles (from 1.2 to 1.7 V). (f)
Time‐dependent current plot for CuO@Ni‐P NA/CF at 1.55 V for more than 35 h.
Owing to that CuO@Ni‐P NA/CF is active toward both HER
We also investigated the OER activity of CuO@Ni‐P NA/CF in 1.0 M and OER in strong basic solutions, we made an electrolyzer
KOH. As shown in Fig. 3a, CuO@Ni‐P NA/CF electrode exhibits much using it as both cathode and anode. As shown in Fig. 4a, water
greater current density and earlier onset of catalytic current splitting system using Pt/C on CF as cathode and RuO2 on CF as
This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry 20xx J. Name., 2013, 00, 1‐3 | 3
Please do not adjust margins
ChemComm
Please do not adjust margins Page 4 of 5
View Article Online
DOI: 10.1039/C7CC09007B
COMMUNICATION Journal Name
anode (RuO2‖Pt/C) performs efficiently. The LSV of CuO@Ni‐P 20 Z. Pu, Y. Xue, W. Li, I. S. Amiinu and S. Mu, New J. Chem., 2017,
NA/CF‖CuO@Ni‐P NA/CF system reaches 30 mA cm‐2 at a 41, 2154—2159.
21 Z. Pu, S. Wei, Z. Chen and S. Mu, Applied Catalysis B:
voltage of 1.71 V (Movie S1), smaller than that for Ni5P4‖Ni5P4 Environmental, 2016, 196, 193‐198.
(≈1.84 V),42 Ni3S2/NF‖Ni3S2/NF (1.76 V for 13 mA cm‐2),43 and 22 C. Zhang, Z. Pu, I. S. Amiinu, Y. Zhao, J. Zhu, Y. Tang and S. Mu,
Ni(OH)2/NF‖Ni(OH)2/NF (1.89 V for 20 mV cm‐2)44 at the same Nanoscale, DOI: 10.1039/C7NR08148K.
current density. We also examined the long‐term 23 M. Xie, L. Yang, Y. Ji, Z. Wang, X. Ren, Z. Liu, A. M. Asiri, X. Xiong
electrochemical durability of this electrolyzer at 1.79 V in 1.0 M and X. Sun, Nanoscale, 2017, 9, 16612–16615.
24 X. Wang, Y. Xu, B. Chen, N. Zhou, H. Chen, D. Kuang and C. Su,
KOH solution. As observed, a current of 50 mA cm‐2 at the ChemSusChem, 2016, 9, 3012–3018.
beginning and stabilizes around 43 mA cm‐2 after 35 h of 25 X. Guo, P. Diao, D. Xu, S. Huang, Y. Yang, T. Jin, Q. Wu, M. Xiang
electrolysis testing (Fig. 4b). and M. Zhang, Int. J. Hydrogen Energy, 2014, 39, 7686–7696.
In conclusion, an amorphous Ni‐P alloy shell has been electro‐ 26 S. M. Pawar, B. S. Pawar, B. Hou, J. Kim, A. T. A. Ahmed, H. S.
Published on 09 February 2018. Downloaded by Fudan University on 10/02/2018 00:11:35.
deposited on CuO nanowire array as a highly efficient and stable Chavan, S. Cho, A. I. Inamdar, J. L. Gunjakar, H. Kim, S. N. Cha
and H. Im, J. Mater. Chem. A, 2017, 5, 12747–12751.
3D bifunctional water splitting electrocatalyst in strong alkaline 27 T. N. Huan, G. Rousse, S. Zanna, I. T. Lucas, X. Xu, N. Menguy,
4 | J. Name., 2012, 00, 1‐3 This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry 20xx
Please do not adjust margins
Page 5 of 5 ChemComm
View Article Online
DOI: 10.1039/C7CC09007B
boost the catalytic activity toward alkaline water splitting, and this core@shell CuO@Ni-P
nanowire array is durable with a cell voltage of only 1.71 V to reach 30 mA cm-2 by a