Few‐Layer Tellurium: Cathodic Exfoliation and Doping for Collaborative Hydrogen Evolution

2D tellurium is a suitable electrocatalyst support that can assist electron transport while hosting active sites, yet its production remains challenging. Herein, a cathodic exfoliation method that can exfoliate Te crystal directly to Te nanosheets at low potential, also enabling simultaneous transit...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Small (Weinheim an der Bergstrasse, Germany) Germany), 2021-05, Vol.17 (18), p.e2007768-n/a
Main Authors: Zheng, Weiran, Li, Yong, Liu, Mengjie, Lee, Lawrence Yoon Suk
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
2D materials
Anions
Atomic properties
cathodic exfoliation
Collaboration
Doping
Electrocatalysts
Electron transport
Exfoliation
Hydrogen
Hydrogen evolution
hydrogen evolution reaction
Hydrogen production
Ions
Mass transfer
Metal ions
Nanosheets
Nanotechnology
Protons
Raman spectra
surface modification
Tellurium
Transition metals
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Summary:2D tellurium is a suitable electrocatalyst support that can assist electron transport while hosting active sites, yet its production remains challenging. Herein, a cathodic exfoliation method that can exfoliate Te crystal directly to Te nanosheets at low potential, also enabling simultaneous transition metal doping on Te nanosheet surface is presented. In situ Raman spectra and ex situ characterizations reveal that the cathodic exfoliation relies on the electrostatic repulsion between Te flakes covered with in situ generated ditelluride (Te22−) anions. The Te22− anions can anchor metal ions to the surface, and the doping concentration can be tuned by adjusting the concentration of metal ion in the electrolyte. The metal‐doped Te nanosheets exhibit highly improved hydrogen evolution activities. In particular, Pt‐doped Te outperforms polycrystalline Pt at high overpotential. A collaborative hydrogen production mechanism via Volmer–Heyrovsky pathway is suggested: Te22− adsorbs protons and assists the mass transfer to adjacent Pt atoms where the protons are reduced and released as hydrogen. Cathodic exfoliation of Te crystal produces its few‐layer form, also enables one‐step metal doping on its surface in the form of single atoms/few‐atom clusters. With surface Pt coverage of ca. 50%, best hydrogen evolution performance is demonstrated, following the Volmer‐Heyrovsky pathway, where the ditelluride anions can assist proton adsorption.
ISSN:1613-6810
1613-6829
DOI:10.1002/smll.202007768