Strong Metal–Phosphide Interactions in Core–Shell Geometry for Enhanced Electrocatalysis

• DOI: 10.1021/acs.nanolett.7b00126
• Publication Date: 2017-02-10T18:55:47Z
• Authors: Xiaolin Li; Wen Liu; Minye Zhang; Yiren Zhong; Zhe Weng; Yingying Mi; Yu Zhou; Min Li; Judy J. Cha; Zhiyong Tang; Hong Jiang; Xueming Li; Hailiang Wang
• Keywords: Phosphide; Indium phosphide

Rational design of multicomponent material structures with strong interfacial interactions enabling enhanced electrocatalysis represents an attractive but underdeveloped paradigm for creating better catalysts important electrochemical energy conversion reactions. In this work, we report metal–phosphide core–shell nanostructures as a new model electrocatalyst system where the surface electronic states shell phosphide and its reaction intermediates can be effectively influenced by core metal to achieve higher catalytic activity. The strategy is demonstrated synthesis iron–iron (Fe@FeP) nanoparticles on carbon nanotubes (CNTs) find that between components increase binding strength hydrogen adatoms toward optimum. As consequence, Fe@FeP/CNT exhibits exceptional activity evolution reaction, only requiring overpotentials 53–110 mV reach current densities 10–100 mA cm–2.