Tiny Ni Nanoparticles Embedded in Boron- and Nitrogen-Codoped Porous Carbon Nanowires for High-Efficiency Water Splitting

• DOI: 10.1021/acsami.2c04956
• Publication Date: 2022-05-23T11:47:07Z
• Authors: Fei Guo; Zhuo Liu; Yiyong Zhang; Jie Xiao; Xiaoyuan Zeng; Chengxu Zhang; Peng Dong; Tingting Liu; Yingjie Zhang; Mian Li
• Keywords: Reversible hydrogen electrode; Carbon fibers

The integration of nickel (Ni) nanoparticle (NP)-embedded carbon layers (Ni@C) into the three-dimensional (3D) hierarchically porous architectures, where ultrahigh boron (B) and nitrogen (N) doping is a potential methodology for boosting Ni catalysts' water splitting performances, was achieved. In this study, novel 3D ultrafine NP-embedded B- N-codoped nanowires (denoted as Ni@BNPCFs) were successfully synthesized via pyrolysis corresponding acetate [Ni(AC)2·4H2O]-hydroxybenzeneboronic acid-polyvinylpyrrolidone precursor networks woven by electrospinning. After optimizing temperatures, various structural morphological characterization analyses indicate that optimal Ni@BNPCFs-900 own large surface area, abundant micro/mesopores, vast edges/defects, which boost amount B (5.81 atom %) N (5.84 dopants frameworks with 6.36 % BC3, pyridinic-N (pyridinic-N-Ni), graphitic-N active sites. Electrochemical measurements demonstrate reveals best hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) oxygen reduction catalytic activities in an alkaline solution. HER at 10 mA cm-2 [E10 = -164.2 mV vs reversible electrode (RHE)] just 96.2 more negative than state-of-the-art 20 wt Pt/C (E10 -68 RHE). particular, OER E10 Tafel slope (1.517 V RHE 19.31 dec-1) are much smaller those RuO2 (1.557 64.03 dec-1). For full splitting, current density achieves low cell voltage 1.584 (-) Ni@BNPCFs-900||Ni@BNPCFs-900 (+) electrolysis cell, Pt/C||RuO2 benchmark (1.594 V) under same conditions. synergistic effects structures, advanced charge transport ability, centers [such Ni@BNC, graphitic-N] responsible excellent water-splitting activity networks. Especially, because remarkable chemical stabilities networks, displays stability.