1. Value added transformation of ubiquitous substrates into highly efficient and flexible electrodes for water splitting
- Author
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Sayan Bhattacharyya, Rahul Majee, Atharva Sahasrabudhe, and Harsha Dixit
- Subjects
Multidisciplinary ,Materials science ,Electrolysis of water ,Science ,Oxygen evolution ,General Physics and Astronomy ,Nanoparticle ,Nanotechnology ,02 engineering and technology ,General Chemistry ,Current collector ,010402 general chemistry ,021001 nanoscience & nanotechnology ,01 natural sciences ,General Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology ,Article ,0104 chemical sciences ,Catalysis ,Electrode ,Water splitting ,lcsh:Q ,lcsh:Science ,0210 nano-technology ,Bimetallic strip - Abstract
Herein, we present an innovative approach for transforming commonly available cellulose paper into a flexible and catalytic current collector for overall water splitting. A solution processed soak-and-coat method of electroless plating was used to render a piece of paper conducting by conformably depositing metallic nickel nanoparticles, while still retaining the open macroporous framework. Proof-of-concept paper-electrodes are realized by modifying nickel-paper current collector with model electrocatalysts nickel-iron oxyhydroxide and nickel-molybdenum bimetallic alloy through electrodeposition route. The paper-electrodes demonstrate exceptional activities towards oxygen evolution reaction and hydrogen evolution reaction, requiring overpotentials of 240 and 32 mV at 50 and −10 mA cm−2, respectively, even as they endure extreme mechanical stress. The generality of this approach is demonstrated by fabricating similar electrodes on cotton fabric, which also show high activity. Finally, a two-electrode paper-electrolyzer is constructed which can split water with an efficiency of 98.01%, and exhibits robust stability for more than 200 h., Water electrolysis provides a means to convert water into carbon-neutral fuels, but current devices are typically heavy, inflexible, or require costly substrates. Here, the authors transform paper and cotton fabrics into efficient, durable, and flexible supports for water-splitting electrocatalysts.
- Published
- 2018