Issue 39, 2022

Energy-saving hydrogen production by the methanol oxidation reaction coupled with the hydrogen evolution reaction co-catalyzed by a phase separation induced heterostructure

Abstract

Electrochemical water splitting is a desirable technique to produce hydrogen to replace fossil fuels for sustainable energy generation. However, efficient hydrogen production suffers from a sluggish oxygen evolution reaction (OER) and expensive electrocatalysts. Herein, the methanol oxidation reaction (MOR) is combined with the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) to achieve energy-saving hydrogen production. The HER and MOR are co-catalyzed by a bifunctional electrocatalyst containing a NiSe/MoSe2 heterointerface on carbon cloth (NMS/CC). The electronic structure rearrangement and charge transfer at the heterointerface are investigated experimentally and theoretically. The NMS/CC electrocatalyst has outstanding MOR properties requiring a smaller potential and Tafel slope than those of the OER as well as high efficiency and stability. Energy-saving hydrogen production by the combined MOR/HER configuration can be powered by a solar cell with an output voltage of 1.5 V. The results reveal the excellent prospect of this novel strategy for zero-carbon-emission energy generation and provide insights into the coordination of electrosynthesis and electrocatalysis.

Graphical abstract: Energy-saving hydrogen production by the methanol oxidation reaction coupled with the hydrogen evolution reaction co-catalyzed by a phase separation induced heterostructure

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
12 Apr 2022
Accepted
07 Jul 2022
First published
07 Jul 2022

J. Mater. Chem. A, 2022,10, 20761-20769

Energy-saving hydrogen production by the methanol oxidation reaction coupled with the hydrogen evolution reaction co-catalyzed by a phase separation induced heterostructure

X. Peng, S. Xie, X. Wang, C. Pi, Z. Liu, B. Gao, L. Hu, W. Xiao and P. K. Chu, J. Mater. Chem. A, 2022, 10, 20761 DOI: 10.1039/D2TA02955C

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