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Unveiling the In Situ Dissolution and Polymerization of Mo in Ni 4 Mo Alloy for Promoting the Hydrogen Evolution Reaction
Author(s) -
Du Wei,
Shi Yanmei,
Zhou Wei,
Yu Yifu,
Zhang Bin
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
angewandte chemie international edition
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 5.831
H-Index - 550
eISSN - 1521-3773
pISSN - 1433-7851
DOI - 10.1002/anie.202015723
Subject(s) - alloy , electrocatalyst , materials science , dissolution , electrolyte , metal , electrolysis , adsorption , hydrogen , inorganic chemistry , chemical engineering , electrode , metallurgy , chemistry , electrochemistry , organic chemistry , engineering
Abstract NiMo alloys are efficient electrocatalysts in alkaline water electrolyzer for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). Metals are usually considered to be stable during the cathodic process. However, the actual behaviors of Mo in the NiMo alloys are unexplored. Here, we present the instability of Mo in the Ni 4 Mo alloy as a highly efficient HER electrocatalyst in an alkaline medium. Mo in Ni 4 Mo is oxidized and dissolved in the form of MoO 4 2− first. The dissolved MoO 4 2− will re‐adsorb on the electrode surface and polymerize. Theoretical calculations indicate that the adsorption of the dimer Mo 2 O 7 2− can promote the HER activity of metal Ni. The addition of MoO 4 2− to the electrolyte can not only repair the durability of Ni 4 Mo alloy, but also facilitate the HER activity of pure metal of Ni, Fe, and Co. Our findings provide insight into the structural transformation mechanism and performance‐enhanced origin of cathodic materials under the reaction conditions.