Hyperbranched Co2P nanocrystals with 3D morphology for hydrogen generation in both alkaline and acidic media

Xiaoyang Wang; Xiaomin Tian; Xiao Duan; Chun Wu; Wenli Pei; Kai Wang; Shuang Yuan; Qiang Wang

doi:10.1039/c9ra02605c

Hyperbranched Co₂P nanocrystals with 3D morphology for hydrogen generation in both alkaline and acidic media

RSC Adv. 2019 Jul 2;9(36):20612-20617. doi: 10.1039/c9ra02605c. eCollection 2019 Jul 1.

Authors

Xiaoyang Wang^{1

2}, Xiaomin Tian^{1

2}, Xiao Duan^{1

2}, Chun Wu³, Wenli Pei⁴, Kai Wang¹, Shuang Yuan², Qiang Wang¹

Affiliations

¹ Key Laboratory of Electromagnetic Processing of Materials (Ministry of Education), Northeastern University P. O. Box 314, No. 11, Lane 3, Wenhua Road, Heping District 110819 Shenyang China wangq@mail.neu.edu.cn.
² School of Metallurgy, Northeastern University P. O. Box 314, No. 11, Lane 3, Wenhua Road, Heping District 110819 Shenyang China.
³ School of Materials Science and Engineering, Liaoning Technical University Fuxin 123000 China.
⁴ Key Laboratory of Anisotropy and Texture of Materials (Ministry of Education), Northeastern University P. O. Box 314, No. 11, Lane 3, Wenhua Road, Heping District 110819 Shenyang China.

Abstract

Hyperbranched Co₂P nanocrystals with three-dimensional structure have successfully been synthesized by a facile one-step wet-chemical method. The hyperbranched Co₂P are consisted of a large number of nanofilaments. The crystal splitting should be responsible for the formation of this structure. Catalytic performances measurements toward hydrogen evolution reaction for the obtained hyperbranched Co₂P nanocrystals demonstrate a small overpotential of 100 mV at current density of 10 mA cm^-2, with a Tafel slope of 67 mV dec^-1 in 1 M KOH. Durability tests show that slight catalytic activity fading occurs after 2000 CV cycles or 22 h chronoamperometric testing. In addition, the hyperbranched Co₂P also perform well in 0.5 M H₂SO₄ with a low overpotential of 107 mV at 10 mA cm^-2 and a Tafel slope of 69 mV dec^-1. This facile method provides a strategy for the preparation of low-cost metal phosphide electrocatalysts for hydrogen evolution in both alkaline and acidic media.