Pt-like Hydrogen Evolution Electrocatalysis on PANI/CoP Hybrid Nanowires by Weakening the Shackles of Hydrogen Ions on the Surfaces of Catalysts.

The search for high active, stable, and cost-efficient hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) electrocatalysts for water electrolysis has attracted great interest. The coordinated water molecules in the hydronium ions will obviously reduce the positive charge density of H and hamper the ability of H to receive electrons from the cathode, leading to large overpotential of HER on nonprecious metal catalysts. Here we realize Pt-like hydrogen evolution electrocatalysis on polyaniline (PANI) nanodots (NDs)-decorated CoP hybrid nanowires (HNWs) supported on carbon fibers (CFs) (PANI/CoP HNWs-CFs) as PANI can effectively capture H from hydronium ions to form protonated amine groups that have higher positive charge density than those of hydronium ions and can be electro-reduced easily.

Activating CoOOH Porous Nanosheet Arrays by Partial Iron Substitution for Efficient Oxygen Evolution Reaction.

Iron-substituted CoOOH porous nanosheet arrays grown on carbon fiber cloth (denoted as Fe Co OOH PNSAs/CFC, 0≤x≤0.33) with 3D hierarchical structures are synthesized by in situ anodic oxidation of α-Co(OH) NSAs/CFC in solution of 0.01 m (NH ) Fe(SO ) .

Efficient Hydrogen Evolution on Cu Nanodots-Decorated NiS Nanotubes by Optimizing Atomic Hydrogen Adsorption and Desorption.

Low-cost transition-metal dichalcogenides (MS) have attracted great interest as alternative catalysts for hydrogen evolution. However, a significant challenge is the formation of sulfur-hydrogen bonds on MS (S-H), which will severely suppress hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). Here we report Cu nanodots (NDs)-decorated NiS nanotubes (NTs) supported on carbon fibers (CFs) (Cu NDs/NiS NTs-CFs) as efficient electrocatalysts for HER in alkaline media.

Silica-Polypyrrole Hybrids as High-Performance Metal-Free Electrocatalysts for the Hydrogen Evolution Reaction in Neutral Media.

Constructing inorganic-organic hybrids with superior properties in terms of water adsorption and activation will lead to catalysts with significantly enhanced electrocatalytic activity in the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) in environmentally benign neutral media. Herein, we report SiO -polypyrrole (PPy) hybrid nanotubes supported on carbon fibers (CFs) (SiO  /PPy NTs-CFs) as inexpensive and high-performance electrocatalysts for the HER in neutral media. Because of the strong electronic interactions between SiO and PPy, the SiO uniquely serves as the centers for water adsorption and activation, and accordingly promotes the HER.

Design and Synthesis of FeOOH/CeO2 Heterolayered Nanotube Electrocatalysts for the Oxygen Evolution Reaction.

FeOOH/CeO2 heterolayered nanotubes supported on Ni foam as efficient oxygen evolution electrocatalysts are reported. The hybrid structure can obviously promote the catalytic performance for the oxygen evolution reaction, such as low onset potential, high electroactivity, and excellent long-term durability. This study provides a new route to the design and fabrication of electrocatalysts with high electroactivity and durability for oxygen evolution.

FeOOH/Co/FeOOH Hybrid Nanotube Arrays as High-Performance Electrocatalysts for the Oxygen Evolution Reaction.

Herein, we developed FeOOH/Co/FeOOH hybrid nanotube arrays (HNTAs) supported on Ni foams for oxygen evolution reaction (OER). The inner Co metal cores serve as highly conductive layers to provide reliable electronic transmission, and can overcome the poor electrical conductivity of FeOOH efficiently. DFT calculations demonstrate the strong electronic interactions between Co and FeOOH in the FeOOH/Co/FeOOH HNTAs, and the hybrid structure can lower the energy barriers of intermediates and thus promote the catalytic reactions.

Pt/Ni(OH)-NiOOH/Pd multi-walled hollow nanorod arrays as superior electrocatalysts for formic acid electrooxidation.

The catalytic activity and durability are crucial for the development of high-performance electrocatalysts. To design electrocatalysts with excellent electroactivity and durability, the structure and composition are two important guiding principles. In this work, novel Pt/Ni(OH)-NiOOH/Pd multi-walled hollow nanorod arrays (MHNRAs) are successfully synthesized.

Co(OH)2 @PANI Hybrid Nanosheets with 3D Networks as High-Performance Electrocatalysts for Hydrogen Evolution Reaction.

Hybrid electrocatalysts with excellent electrocatalytic activity for hydrogen reduction are fabricated using an efficient and facile electrochemical route. The electronic and synergistic effects between Co(OH)2 and polyaniline (PANI) in the composite structure are the key factors that generate the high electrocatalytic activity and excellent stability. A highly efficient, non-precious metal-based flexible electrocatalyst for high-performance electrocatalysts is shown, which reveals a novel route for the design and synthesis of electrocatalysts.

Asymmetric Paper Supercapacitor Based on Amorphous Porous Mn3O4 Negative Electrode and Ni(OH)2 Positive Electrode: A Novel and High-Performance Flexible Electrochemical Energy Storage Device.

Here we synthesize novel asymmetric all-solid-state paper supercapacitors (APSCs) based on amorphous porous Mn3O4 grown on conducting paper (NGP) (Mn3O4/NGP) negative electrode and Ni(OH)2 grown on NGP (Ni(OH)2/NGP) as positive electrode, and they have attracted intensive research interest owing to their outstanding properties such as being flexible, ultrathin, and lightweight. The fabricated APSCs exhibit a high areal Csp of 3.05 F/cm3 and superior cycling stability.

Design of Pd/PANI/Pd sandwich-structured nanotube array catalysts with special shape effects and synergistic effects for ethanol electrooxidation.

Low cost, high activity, and long-term durability are the main requirements for commercializing fuel cell electrocatalysts. Despite tremendous efforts, developing non-Pt anode electrocatalysts with high activity and long-term durability at low cost remains a significant technical challenge. Here we report a new type of hybrid Pd/PANI/Pd sandwich-structured nanotube array (SNTA) to exploit shape effects and synergistic effects of Pd-PANI composites for the oxidation of small organic molecules for direct alcohol fuel cells.

Electrochemical synthesis of nanostructured materials for electrochemical energy conversion and storage.

Electrochemical synthesis represents a highly efficient method for the fabrication of nanostructured energy materials, and various nanostructures, such as nanorods, nanowires, nanotubes, nanosheets, dendritic nanostructures, and composite nanostructures, can be easily fabricated with advantages of low cost, low synthetic temperature, high purity, simplicity, and environmental friendliness. The electrochemical synthesis, characterization, and application of electrochemical energy nanomaterials have advanced greatly in the past few decades, allowing an increasing understanding of nanostructure-property-performance relationships. Herein, we highlight some recent progress in the electrochemical synthesis of electrochemical energy materials with the assistance of additives and templates in solution or grafted onto metal or conductive polymer supports, with special attention to the effects on surface morphologies, structures and, more importantly, electrochemical performance.