Encapsulating Nickel-Iron Alloy Nanoparticles in a Polysilazane-Derived Microporous Si-C-O-N-Based Support to Stimulate Superior OER Activity.

The in situ confinement of nickel (Ni)-iron (Fe) nanoparticles (NPs) in a polymer-derived microporous silicon carboxynitride (Si-C-O-N)-based support is investigated to stimulate superior oxygen evolution reaction (OER) activity in an alkaline media. Firstly, we consider a commercial polysilazane (PSZ) and Ni and Fe chlorides to be mixed in N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF) and deliver after overnight solvent reflux a series of Ni-Fe : organosilicon coordination polymers. The latter are then heat-treated at 500 °C in flowing argon to form the title compounds.

Low temperature immobilization of nanoscale fcc and hcp polymorphic nickel particles in polymer-derived Si-C-O-N(H) to promote electrocatalytic water oxidation in alkaline media.

We synthesized nickel (Ni) nanoparticles (NPs) in a high specific surface area (SSA) p-block element-containing inorganic compound prepared the polymer-derived ceramics (PDC) route to dispatch the obtained nanocomposite towards oxygen evolution reaction (OER). The formation of Ni NPs in an amorphous silicon carboxynitride (Si-C-O-N(H)) matrix is allowed by the reactive blending of a polysilazane, NiCl and DMF followed by the subsequent thermolysis of the Ni : organosilicon polymer coordination complex at a temperature as low as 500 °C in flowing argon. The final nanocomposite displays a BET SSA as high as 311 m g while the structure of the NPs corresponds to face-centred cubic (fcc) Ni along with interstitial-atom free (IAF) hexagonal close-packed (hcp) Ni as revealed by XRD.