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A rhodium/silicon co-electrocatalyst design concept to surpass platinum hydrogen evolution activity at high overpotentials

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  • Lili Zhu

    (Institute of Functional Nano and Soft Materials (FUNSOM), Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Carbon-Based Functional Materials and Devices, Soochow University)

  • Haiping Lin

    (Institute of Functional Nano and Soft Materials (FUNSOM), Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Carbon-Based Functional Materials and Devices, Soochow University)

  • Youyong Li

    (Institute of Functional Nano and Soft Materials (FUNSOM), Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Carbon-Based Functional Materials and Devices, Soochow University)

  • Fan Liao

    (Institute of Functional Nano and Soft Materials (FUNSOM), Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Carbon-Based Functional Materials and Devices, Soochow University)

  • Yeshayahu Lifshitz

    (Institute of Functional Nano and Soft Materials (FUNSOM), Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Carbon-Based Functional Materials and Devices, Soochow University
    Technion, Israel Institute of Technology)

  • Minqi Sheng

    (Institute of Functional Nano and Soft Materials (FUNSOM), Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Carbon-Based Functional Materials and Devices, Soochow University)

  • Shuit-Tong Lee

    (Institute of Functional Nano and Soft Materials (FUNSOM), Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Carbon-Based Functional Materials and Devices, Soochow University)

  • Mingwang Shao

    (Institute of Functional Nano and Soft Materials (FUNSOM), Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Carbon-Based Functional Materials and Devices, Soochow University)

Abstract

Currently, platinum-based electrocatalysts show the best performance for hydrogen evolution. All hydrogen evolution reaction catalysts should however obey Sabatier’s principle, that is, the adsorption energy of hydrogen to the catalyst surface should be neither too high nor too low to balance between hydrogen adsorption and desorption. To overcome the limitation of this principle, here we choose a composite (rhodium/silicon nanowire) catalyst, in which hydrogen adsorption occurs on rhodium with a large adsorption energy while hydrogen evolution occurs on silicon with a small adsorption energy. We show that the composite is stable with better hydrogen evolution activity than rhodium nanoparticles and even exceeding those of commercial platinum/carbon at high overpotentials. The results reveal that silicon plays a key role in the electrocatalysis. This work may thus open the door for the design and fabrication of electrocatalysts for high-efficiency electric energy to hydrogen energy conversion.

Suggested Citation

  • Lili Zhu & Haiping Lin & Youyong Li & Fan Liao & Yeshayahu Lifshitz & Minqi Sheng & Shuit-Tong Lee & Mingwang Shao, 2016. "A rhodium/silicon co-electrocatalyst design concept to surpass platinum hydrogen evolution activity at high overpotentials," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 7(1), pages 1-7, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:7:y:2016:i:1:d:10.1038_ncomms12272
    DOI: 10.1038/ncomms12272
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    Cited by:

    1. Qian Dang & Haiping Lin & Zhenglong Fan & Lu Ma & Qi Shao & Yujin Ji & Fangfang Zheng & Shize Geng & Shi-Ze Yang & Ningning Kong & Wenxiang Zhu & Youyong Li & Fan Liao & Xiaoqing Huang & Mingwang Shao, 2021. "Iridium metallene oxide for acidic oxygen evolution catalysis," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 12(1), pages 1-10, December.
    2. He, Mingzhi & Nie, Gongzhe & Yang, Haoran & Li, Binghui & Zhou, Shuhan & Wang, Xiongzheng & Meng, Xin, 2024. "A generic equivalent circuit model for PEM electrolyzer with multi-timescale and stages under multi-mode control," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 359(C).
    3. Jie Dai & Yinlong Zhu & Yu Chen & Xue Wen & Mingce Long & Xinhao Wu & Zhiwei Hu & Daqin Guan & Xixi Wang & Chuan Zhou & Qian Lin & Yifei Sun & Shih-Chang Weng & Huanting Wang & Wei Zhou & Zongping Sha, 2022. "Hydrogen spillover in complex oxide multifunctional sites improves acidic hydrogen evolution electrocatalysis," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-10, December.
    4. Zhenglong Fan & Fan Liao & Yujin Ji & Yang Liu & Hui Huang & Dan Wang & Kui Yin & Haiwei Yang & Mengjie Ma & Wenxiang Zhu & Meng Wang & Zhenhui Kang & Youyong Li & Mingwang Shao & Zhiwei Hu & Qi Shao, 2022. "Coupling of nanocrystal hexagonal array and two-dimensional metastable substrate boosts H2-production," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-10, December.
    5. Zhang, Zhiqing & Hu, Jingyi & Tan, Dongli & Li, Junming & Jiang, Feng & Yao, Xiaoxue & Yang, Dixin & Ye, Yanshuai & Zhao, Ziheng & Yang, Guanhua, 2023. "Multi-objective optimization of the three-way catalytic converter on the combustion and emission characteristics for a gasoline engine," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 277(C).
    6. Cao, Baoyue & Shi, Hu & Sun, Qiangqiang & Yu, Yan & Chang, Liangliang & Xu, Shan & Zhou, Chunsheng & Zhang, Hongxia & Zhao, Jianghong & Zhu, Yanyan & Yang, Pengju, 2023. "Electron deficiency modulates hydrogen adsorption strength of Ru single-atomic catalyst for efficient hydrogen evolution," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 210(C), pages 258-268.
    7. Zhi Wen Chen & Jian Li & Pengfei Ou & Jianan Erick Huang & Zi Wen & LiXin Chen & Xue Yao & GuangMing Cai & Chun Cheng Yang & Chandra Veer Singh & Qing Jiang, 2024. "Unusual Sabatier principle on high entropy alloy catalysts for hydrogen evolution reactions," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-11, December.
    8. Geng Wu & Xiao Han & Jinyan Cai & Peiqun Yin & Peixin Cui & Xusheng Zheng & Hai Li & Cai Chen & Gongming Wang & Xun Hong, 2022. "In-plane strain engineering in ultrathin noble metal nanosheets boosts the intrinsic electrocatalytic hydrogen evolution activity," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-9, December.

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