Xuejiao Hu1, Tiancheng Li2, Yidan Tang1, Yirong Wang1, Ao Wang3, Gengtao Fu1,4, Xiaodong Li1, Yawen Tang1. 1. Jiangsu Key Laboratory of New Power Batteries, Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center of Biomedical, Functional Materials, School of Chemistry and Materials Science, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing, 210023, P.R. China. 2. State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, 610041, Chengdu, P.R. China. 3. Key Lab of Biomass Energy and Material, Jiangsu Province, National Engineering Lab. For Biomass Chemical Utilization, Institute of Chemical Industry of Forest Products, Chinese Academy of Forestry, No. 16, Suojin 5th Village, Nanjing, 210042, P.R. China. 4. School of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, 637459, Singapore.
Abstract
The development of high-efficiency electrocatalysts with low costs for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) is essential, but remains challenging. Herein, a new synthetic process is proposed to prepare Ni3 S4 particles embedded in N,P-codoped honeycomb porous carbon aerogels (Ni3 S4 /N,P-HPC) through a hydrogel approach. The preparation of Ni3 S4 /N,P-HPC begins with the sol-gel polymerization of tripolyphosphate, chitosan, and guanidine polymer that contains metal-binding sites, allowing for the uniform incorporation of Ni ions into the gel matrix, freeze-drying, and subsequent carbonization under an inert atmosphere. This synthesis resolves difficulties in synthesizing the pure Ni3 S4 phase caused by the instability of Ni3 S4 at high temperature, while affording good control of the porous structure and N,P-doping of carbon aerogels. The synergy between the structural advantages of N,P-carbon aerogels (such as easily accessible active sites, high specific surface area, and excellent electron transport) and the intrinsic electrochemical properties of Ni3 S4 result in the outstanding OER performance of Ni3 S4 /N,P-HPC, with overpotentials as low as 0.37 V at 10 mA cm-2 . The work outlined herein offers a simple and effective method for the development of carbon-based electrocatalysts for renewable energy conversion.
The development of high-efficiency electrocatalysts with low costs for the pan class="Chemical">oxygen evolution reaction (OER) is essential, but remains challenging. Herein, a new synthetic process is propn>osed to prepn>are n>an class="Chemical">Ni3 S4 particles embedded in N,P-codoped honeycomb porous carbon aerogels (Ni3 S4 /N,P-HPC) through a hydrogel approach. The preparation of Ni3 S4 /N,P-HPC begins with the sol-gel polymerization of tripolyphosphate, chitosan, and guanidine polymer that contains metal-binding sites, allowing for the uniform incorporation of Ni ions into the gel matrix, freeze-drying, and subsequent carbonization under an inert atmosphere. This synthesis resolves difficulties in synthesizing the pure Ni3 S4 phase caused by the instability of Ni3 S4 at high temperature, while affording good control of the porous structure and N,P-doping of carbon aerogels. The synergy between the structural advantages of N,P-carbon aerogels (such as easily accessible active sites, high specific surface area, and excellent electron transport) and the intrinsic electrochemical properties of Ni3 S4 result in the outstanding OER performance of Ni3 S4 /N,P-HPC, with overpotentials as low as 0.37 V at 10 mA cm-2 . The work outlined herein offers a simple and effective method for the development of carbon-based electrocatalysts for renewable energy conversion.