Nano Research. <\/em><\/p>\nWhat is the advantage of using nanoneedles for hydrogen production?<\/h3>\n \u201cThe innovative combination of gradient hydrothermal and phosphidation processes forms a microsphere structure,\u201d said Yufeng Zhao, a professor at the College of Sciences & Institute for Sustainable Energy at Shanghai University in Shanghai, China.<\/p>\n
\u201cThese nanoparticles with a diameter of approximately five to ten nanometres form nanoneedles, which subsequently self-assemble into a spherical structure. The nanoneedles offer abundant active sites for efficient electron transfer and the presence of small-sized particles and micro-scale roughness enhances the release of hydrogen bubbles.\u201d<\/p>\n
How was the microstructure created?<\/h3>\n The researchers created the microstructure by using element doping. This technique is the intentional addition of impurities to a catalyst to improve its activity.<\/p>\n
In the study, molybdenum (Mo) was added to the bimetallic nickel-cobalt (Ni-Co) phosphide (P). Already, the way the cobalt and nickel ions interact gives Ni-Co phosphides an exceptional electrocatalytic performance.<\/p>\n
Once the molybdenum was added and a gradient hydrothermal process was used, the Mo-doped Ni-CoP was deposited onto a nickel foam.<\/p>\n
The unique microstructure of nanoneedles was then formed on the phosphide.<\/p>\n
\u201cTrace molybdenum doping optimises the electronic structure and increases the number of electroactive sites,\u201d said Zhao.<\/p>\n
The catalyst was tested for reliability, stability, and performance<\/h3>\n The team tested the Mo-doped Ni-CoP catalyst for reliability, stability, and performance. They found that the density remained nearly constant after 100 hours and its structure was well-maintained.<\/p>\n
This was due to the unique structure of the nanoneedles, which prevents the catalyst from collapsing as hydrogen accumulates. Their calculations also showed that the catalyst was exceptionally efficient in facilitating hydrogen production.<\/p>\n
Future uses of the work<\/h3>\n Looking to the future, the team hopes to test the performance of the reaction in different solutions.<\/p>\n
Future studies will also look to alternatives to nickel foam, such as titanium mesh, that can operate across the pH range.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn future work, we recommend exploring the application of the catalyst in the oxidation-assisted hydrogen production of small molecules, such as urea. This approach would reduce the overpotential of water electrolysis and mitigate environmental pollution caused by urea wastewater,\u201d said Zhao.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Read more about a brand new way to improve hydrogen production with nanoneedles formed on electrocatalysts.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":18,"featured_media":35603,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[24502],"tags":[24413],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n
Hydrogen production improved with nanoneedle innovation<\/title>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n\t \n\t \n\t \n \n \n \n \n \n\t \n\t \n\t \n