Co‐Constructing Interfaces of Multiheterostructure on MXene (Ti3C2Tx)‐Modified 3D Self‐Supporting Electrode for Ultraefficient Electrocatalytic HER in Alkaline Media

• Published in: Advanced functional materials 2021-07, Vol.31 (29), p.n/a
• Main Authors: Lv, Zepeng, Ma, Wansen, Wang, Meng, Dang, Jie, Jian, Kailiang, Liu, Dong, Huang, Dejun
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: cobalt nitride; cobalt phosphide; Electrocatalysts; electrodeposition; Hydrogen production; Materials science; MXene; MXenes; Noble metals; Phosphides; Water splitting
• ISSN: 1616-301X; 1616-3028
• DOI: 10.1002/adfm.202102576

Electrocatalysis is a potential method for sustainable hydrogen production, and the development of non‐noble metal‐based effective electrocatalysts for electrochemical water splitting is the core of exploiting and utilizing renewable energy. Herein, a stupendous electrocatalyst with multiheterostructure interfaces and 3D porous structure is synthesized, and the mechanisms of enhanced electrocatalytic activity combining multicharacterizations and density functional calculations are clarified. Especially, the fabricated Co2P/N@Ti3C2Tx@NF (denoted as CPN@TC) exhibits an ultralow overpotential of 15 mV to arrive at a current density of 10 mA cm−2 with the long‐term durability and a small Tafel slope of 30 mV dec−1 in 1 m KOH, which even compares with noble metal catalysts favorably. The outstanding HER activity is ascribed to multiheterointerfaces for adsorbing H2O and H*, fine conductivity for the electronic transmission, and well‐designed structure for rapid transport of ions and gases. It is reasonable to think that the synthetic strategy of CPN@TC can be extended to the preparation of transition‐metal‐based phosphides for enhanced catalytic performance. A stupendous electrocatalyst with multiheterostructure interfaces is fabricated successfully on a MXene (Ti3C2Tx)‐modified Ni foam without using an adhesion agent. The prepared 3D self‐supporting heterostructure possesses ultrahigh activity (only 15 mV@‐10 mA cm−2) for hydrogen evolution reaction in alkaline media to date, which is among the best noble metal‐free electrocatalysts reported so far.