Haitao Liu1, Jingyu Guan1, Shaoxuan Yang1, Yihuan Yu1, Rong Shao1, Zhengping Zhang1, Meiling Dou1,2, Feng Wang1,2, Qiang Xu3,4. 1. State Key Laboratory of Chemical Resource Engineering, Beijing Key Laboratory of Electrochemical Process and Technology for Materials, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, 100029, P. R. China. 2. Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Soft Matter Science and Engineering, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, 100029, P. R. China. 3. AIST-Kyoto University Chemical Energy Materials Open Innovation Laboratory (ChEM-OIL), National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, 606-8501, Japan. 4. School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, Jiangsu, 225009, P. R. China.
Abstract
Developing efficient and low-cost replacements for precious metals as electrocatalysts active in electrochemical reactions-the oxygen evolution reaction (OER), hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), and oxygen reduction reaction (ORR)-is a top priority in renewable energy technology. In this work a highly active and very stable trifunctional electrocatalyst composed of Co2 P embedded in Co, N, and P multi-doped carbon has been synthesized using zeolitic imidazolate frameworks as precursors. The synergistic effects between Co2 P and the multi-heteroatom-doped carbon substrates afford materials having electrocatalytic activities for HER, OER, and ORR, which are comparable-or even superior to-those of commercial RuO2 or Pt/C catalysts. Density functional theory calculations show that Co2 P has a higher density of states at the Fermi level than Con P (0 < n < 2), which promotes electron transfer and intermediates adsorption in the catalytic process. Zinc-air batteries and water splitting devices assembled using the materials as electrode electrocatalysts show good performance and outstanding stability. This work represents a breakthrough in improving the catalytic performance of non-precious metal electrocatalysts for OER, HER, and ORR, and opens new avenues for clean energy generation.
Developing efficient and low-n class="Chemical">pan class="Chemical">cost repn>lacements for precious metals as electrocatalysts active in electrochemical reactions-the oxygen evolution reaction (OER), pan class="Chemical">hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), and oxygen reduction reaction (ORR)-is a top priority in renewable energy technology. In this work a highly active and very stable trifunctional electrocatalyst composed of Co2 P embedded in Co, N, and P multi-doped carbon has been synthesized using zeolitic imidazolate frameworks as precursors. The synergistic effects between Co2 P and the multi-heteroatom-doped carbon substrates afford materials having electrocatalytic activities for HER, OER, and ORR, which are comparable-or even superior to-those of commercial RuO2 or Pt/C catalysts. Density functional theory calculations show that Co2 P has a higher density of states at the Fermi level than Con P (0 < n < 2), which promotes electron transfer and intermediates adsorption in the catalytic process. Zinc-air batteries and water splitting devices assembled using the materials as electrode electrocatalysts show good performance and outstanding stability. This work represents a breakthrough in improving the catalytic performance of non-precious metal electrocatalysts for OER, HER, and ORR, and opens new avenues for clean energy generation.