Metal-support interaction boosts the stability of Ni-based electrocatalysts for alkaline hydrogen oxidation

Xiaoyu Tian; Renjie Ren; Fengyuan Wei; Jiajing Pei; Zhongbin Zhuang; Lin Zhuang; Wenchao Sheng

doi:10.1038/s41467-023-44320-w

Metal-support interaction boosts the stability of Ni-based electrocatalysts for alkaline hydrogen oxidation

Nat Commun. 2024 Jan 2;15(1):76. doi: 10.1038/s41467-023-44320-w.

Authors

Xiaoyu Tian^#¹, Renjie Ren^#², Fengyuan Wei², Jiajing Pei³, Zhongbin Zhuang⁴, Lin Zhuang⁵, Wenchao Sheng⁶

Affiliations

¹ State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai Institute of Pollution Control and Ecological Security, Shanghai, 200092, PR China.
² College of Chemistry and Molecular Sciences, Hubei Key Laboratory of Electrochemical Power Sources, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430072, PR China.
³ Beijing Synchrotron Radiation Facility, Institute of High Energy Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, PR China.
⁴ State Key Laboratory of Organic-Inorganic Composites, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, 100029, PR China.
⁵ College of Chemistry and Molecular Sciences, Hubei Key Laboratory of Electrochemical Power Sources, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430072, PR China. lzhuang@whu.edu.cn.
⁶ State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai Institute of Pollution Control and Ecological Security, Shanghai, 200092, PR China. wsheng@tongji.edu.cn.

^# Contributed equally.

Abstract

Ni-based hydrogen oxidation reaction (HOR) electrocatalysts are promising anode materials for the anion exchange membrane fuel cells (AEMFCs), but their application is hindered by their inherent instability for practical operations. Here, we report a TiO₂ supported Ni₄Mo (Ni₄Mo/TiO₂) catalyst that can effectively catalyze HOR in alkaline electrolyte with a mass activity of 10.1 ± 0.9 A g^-1_Ni and remain active even up to 1.2 V. The Ni₄Mo/TiO₂ anode AEMFC delivers a peak power density of 520 mW cm^-2 and durability at 400 mA cm^-2 for nearly 100 h. The origin for the enhanced activity and stability is attributed to the down-shifted d band center, caused by the efficient charge transfer from TiO₂ to Ni. The modulated electronic structure weakens the binding strength of oxygen species, rendering a high stability. The Ni₄Mo/TiO₂ has achieved greatly improved stability both in half cell and single AEMFC tests, and made a step forward for feasibility of efficient and durable AEMFCs.

Abstract

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