Datura-like Ni-HG-rGO as highly efficient electrocatalyst for hydrogen evolution reaction in alkaline conditions

Jing Du; Lixin Wang; Lei Bai; Shijia Dang; Li Su; Xiujuan Qin; Guangjie Shao

doi:10.1016/j.jcis.2018.09.063

Datura-like Ni-HG-rGO as highly efficient electrocatalyst for hydrogen evolution reaction in alkaline conditions

J Colloid Interface Sci. 2019 Feb 1:535:75-83. doi: 10.1016/j.jcis.2018.09.063. Epub 2018 Sep 25.

Authors

Jing Du¹, Lixin Wang¹, Lei Bai², Shijia Dang², Li Su², Xiujuan Qin³, Guangjie Shao⁴

Affiliations

¹ State Key Laboratory of Metastable Materials Science and Technology, Yanshan University, Qinhuangdao 066004, China; Hebei Key Laboratory of Applied Chemistry, College of Environmental and Chemical Engineering, Yanshan University, Qinhuangdao 066004, China.
² Hebei Key Laboratory of Applied Chemistry, College of Environmental and Chemical Engineering, Yanshan University, Qinhuangdao 066004, China.
³ State Key Laboratory of Metastable Materials Science and Technology, Yanshan University, Qinhuangdao 066004, China; Hebei Key Laboratory of Applied Chemistry, College of Environmental and Chemical Engineering, Yanshan University, Qinhuangdao 066004, China. Electronic address: qinxj@ysu.edu.cn.
⁴ State Key Laboratory of Metastable Materials Science and Technology, Yanshan University, Qinhuangdao 066004, China; Hebei Key Laboratory of Applied Chemistry, College of Environmental and Chemical Engineering, Yanshan University, Qinhuangdao 066004, China. Electronic address: shaoguangjie@ysu.edu.cn.

PMID: 30286309
DOI: 10.1016/j.jcis.2018.09.063

Abstract

Development of highly-active and noble-metal-free electrocatalysts for hydrogen evolution reactions is a challenge, and optimizing the structure and the composition of the relative materials is critical to obtain the high-quality catalysts. Ni-based compounds are being explored as noble-metal-free electrocatalysts in hydrogen evolution reactions but the Ni-based needs to be modified effectively. In this work, we co-electrodeposited Ni nanoparticles, hydrophilic graphene and graphene oxide layers on Ni foam to synthesize Ni-HG-rGO/NF catalysts. It was presented a Datura-like shape allowing for high performance with current densities of -10 and -100 mA cm^-2 for HER at overpotentials of -50 and -132 mV, a low Tafel slope of -48 mV dec^-1 and excellent long-term stability in 1.0 M NaOH solution. These results demonstrate that the Ni-HG-rGO/NF electrode can be a competitive electrode materials for HER in alkaline conditions.

Keywords: Co-electrodeposition; Graphene oxide; Hydrogen evolution reaction; Hydrophilic graphene; Ni-HG-rGO.