Ni2P/rGO/NF Nanosheets As a Bifunctional High-Performance Electrocatalyst for Water Splitting

Abstract

The hydrogen generated via the water splitting method is restricted by the high level of theoretical potential exhibited by the anode. The work focuses on synthesizing a bifunctional catalyst with a high efficiency, that is, a nickel phosphide doped with the reduced graphene oxide nanosheets supported on the Ni foam (Ni2P/rGO/NF), via the hydrothermal approach together with the calcination approach specific to the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and the oxygen evolution reaction (OER). The Raman, X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS), Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), High-Resolution Transmission Electron Microscopy (HRTEM), as well as elemental mapping, are adopted to study the composition and morphology possessed by Ni2P/rGO/NF. The electrochemical testing is performed by constructing a parallel two-electrode electrolyzer (Ni2P/rGO/NF||Ni2P/rGO/NF). Ni2P/rGO/NF||Ni2P/rGO/NF needs a voltage of only 1.676 V for driving 10 mA/cm2, which is extremely close to Pt/C/NF||IrO2/NF (1.502 V). It is possible to maintain the current density for no less than 30 hours. It can be demonstrated that Ni2P/rGO/NF||Ni2P/rGO/NF has commercial feasibility, relying on the strong activity and high stability.