Mass transport-enhanced electrodeposition of Ni-S-P-O films on nickel foam for electrochemical water splitting

Raul A. Marquez-Montes, Kenta Kawashima, Yoon Jun Son, Jason A. Weeks, H. Hohyun Sun, Hugo Celio, Víctor H. Ramos-Sánchez, C. Buddie Mullins

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

63 Scopus citations

Abstract

Electrochemical water splitting is one of the most promising approaches for sustainable energy conversion and storage toward a future hydrogen society. This demands durable and affordable electrocatalysts for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and the oxygen evolution reaction (OER). In this study, we report the preparation of uniform Ni-P-O, Ni-S-O, and Ni-S-P-O electrocatalytic films on nickel foam (NF) substratesviaflow cell-assisted electrodeposition. Remarkably, electrodeposition onto 12 cm2substrates was optimized by strategically varying critical parameters. The high quality and reproducibility of the materials is attributed to the use of a 3D-printed flow cell with a tailored design. Then, the as-fabricated electrodes were tested for overall water splitting in the same flow cell under alkaline conditions. The best-performing sample, NiSP/NF, required relatively low overpotentials of 93 mV for the HER and 259 mV for the OER to produce a current density of 10 mA cm−2. Importantly, the electrodeposited films underwent oxidation into amorphous nickel (oxy)hydroxides and oxidized S and P species, improving both HER and OER performance. The superior electrocatalytic performance of the Ni-S-P-O films originates from the unique reconstruction process during the HER/OER. Furthermore, the overall water splitting test using the NiSP/NF couple required a low cell voltage of only 1.85 V to deliver a current density of 100 mA cm−2. Overall, we demonstrate that high-quality electrocatalysts can be obtained using a simple and reproducible electrodeposition method in a robust 3D-printed flow cell.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)7736-7749
Number of pages14
JournalJournal of Materials Chemistry A
Volume9
Issue number12
DOIs
StatePublished - Mar 28 2021
Externally publishedYes

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • General Chemistry
  • Renewable Energy, Sustainability and the Environment
  • General Materials Science

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