Journal Article

Dynamic restructuring of nickel sulfides for electrocatalytic hydrogen evolution reaction

Liu, Da, Wang, Hongxia, de la Peña O’Shea, Víctor A., Chen, Xing, Kim, Jongkyoung, Ding, Xingyu, Gorni, Giulio, Hofmann, Jan P., Cho, Seungho, Wu, Renbing, Barawi, Mariam, Li, Jianfeng, Zhao, Pengju, Oropeza, Freddy E., García-Tecedor, Miguel, Zhang, Kelvin H. L.

2024

Overview

Transition metal chalcogenides have been identified as low-cost and efficient electrocatalysts to promote the hydrogen evolution reaction in alkaline media. However, the identification of active sites and the underlying catalytic mechanism remain elusive. In this work, we employ operando X-ray absorption spectroscopy and near-ambient pressure X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy to elucidate that NiS undergoes an in-situ phase transition to an intimately mixed phase of Ni 3 S 2 and NiO, generating highly active synergistic dual sites at the Ni 3 S 2 /NiO interface. The interfacial Ni is the active site for water dissociation and OH* adsorption while the interfacial S acts as the active site for H* adsorption and H 2 evolution. Accordingly, the in-situ formation of Ni 3 S 2 /NiO interfaces enables NiS electrocatalysts to achieve an overpotential of only 95 ± 8 mV at a current density of 10 mA cm −2 . Our work highlighted that the chemistry of transition metal chalcogenides is highly dynamic, and a careful control of the working conditions may lead to the in-situ formation of catalytic species that boost their catalytic performance. Transition metal chalcogenides are effective and economical electrocatalysts for the hydrogen evolution reaction in alkaline media, yet active sites and catalytic mechanisms remain unclear. Here the authors use operando spectroscopy to study the in-situ conversion of NiS to highly active Ni 3 S 2 /NiO dual-site catalysts for the alkaline hydrogen evolution reaction.

• Publisher: Nature Publishing Group UK,Nature Publishing Group,Nature Portfolio
• Subject: 140/133 / 140/146 / 147/135 / 147/143 / 639/301/299/886 / 639/638/77/886 / Absorption spectroscopy / Adsorption / Catalysts / Chalcogenides / Electrocatalysts / Evolution / Humanities and Social Sciences / Hydrogen / Hydrogen evolution reactions / multidisciplinary / Nickel / Nickel oxides / Nickel sulfide / Phase transitions / Photoelectron spectroscopy / Photoelectrons / Pressure / Science / Science (multidisciplinary) / Transition metal compounds / Working conditions / X ray absorption / X ray photoelectron spectroscopy / X-ray absorption spectroscopy