@article{Zhang2021, 
author = {Huan Zhang and Juan Wang and Fengqi Qin and Huiling Liu and Cheng Wang},
title = {V-doped Ni3N/Ni heterostructure with engineered interfaces as a bifunctional hydrogen electrocatalyst in alkaline solution: Simultaneously improving water dissociation and hydrogen adsorption},
year = {2021},
journal = {Nano Research},
volume = {14},
number = {10},
pages = {3489-3496},
keywords = {doping, water dissociation, interface engineering, hydrogen adsorption, alkaline hydrogen electrocatalysis},
url = {https://www.sciopen.com/article/10.1007/s12274-021-3559-9},
doi = {10.1007/s12274-021-3559-9},
abstract = {Alkali-water electrolyzers and hydroxide exchange membrane fuel cells are emerging as promising technologies to realize hydrogen economy. Developing cost-effective electrode materials with high activities towards corresponding hydrogen evolution (HER) and oxidation (HOR) reactions plays a crucial role in commercial hydrogen production and utilization. Herein, we fabricated a V-doped Ni3N/Ni heterostructure (V-Ni3N/Ni) through a controlled nitridation treatment on a V-incorporated nickel hydroxide precursor. The resultant catalyst exhibits comparable catalytic activity and durability to commercial Pt/C in terms of both HER (a low overpotential of 44 mV at the current density of 10 mA·cm-2) and HOR (a high current density of 1.54 mA·cm-2 at 0.1 V versus reversible hydrogen electrode) under alkaline conditions. The superior activity of V-Ni3N/Ni grown on different substrates further implies its intrinsic performance. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations reveal that the coupled metallic Ni and doped V can promote the water adsorption, accelerate the Volmer step of alkaline HER, as well as optimize the adsorption and desorption of hydrogen intermediate (H*) to reach a balanced ΔGH* value.}
}