Premium
Carbon‐Tailored Semimetal MoP as an Efficient Hydrogen Evolution Electrocatalyst in Both Alkaline and Acid Media
Author(s) -
Li Guowei,
Sun Yan,
Rao Jiancun,
Wu Jiquan,
Kumar Anil,
Xu Qiu Nan,
Fu Chenguang,
Liu Enke,
Blake Graeme R.,
Werner Peter,
Shao Baiqi,
Liu Kai,
Parkin Stuart,
Liu Xianjie,
Fahlman Mats,
Liou SzChian,
Auffermann Gudrun,
Zhang Jian,
Felser Claudia,
Feng Xinliang
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
advanced energy materials
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 10.08
H-Index - 220
eISSN - 1614-6840
pISSN - 1614-6832
DOI - 10.1002/aenm.201801258
Subject(s) - tafel equation , overpotential , materials science , electrocatalyst , conductivity , electrolyte , water splitting , semimetal , fermi level , carbon fibers , electrolysis , catalysis , inorganic chemistry , chemical engineering , band gap , electrochemistry , electrode , chemistry , composite number , electron , photocatalysis , composite material , optoelectronics , quantum mechanics , engineering , biochemistry , physics
The electrolysis processes such as hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) require high efficient catalysts with robust surface stability. A high conductivity is also necessary to speed up the charge transport between the catalyst and the electrolyte. Recently, the observation of exceedingly high conductivity in the topological semimetal MoP, has provided a model catalyst to investigate the correlation between the electrical transport and the electrocatalytic activity for the HER. Thus, MoP is encapsulated in a Mo, P codoped carbon layer (MoP@C). This composite material exhibits outstanding HER performance, with an extremely low overpotential of 49 mV at a current density of 10 mA cm −2 and a Tafel slope of 54 mV dec −1 in an alkaline medium. In addition, electron transport analysis indicates that MoP exhibits high conductivity and mobility due to the existence of triple‐point fermions and a complex Fermi surface. Furthermore, the presence of PC and MoC bonds at the interface between the carbon layer and the MoP particles modulates the band structure of MoP@C and facilitates fast electron transfer, accumulation, and subsequent delocalization, which are in turn responsible for the excellent HER activity.