Se-Incorporated Porous Carbon/Ni5P4 Nanostructures for Electrocatalytic Hydrogen Evolution Reaction with Waste Heat Management

To address the need for renewable-energy technology for the growing population, environmentally benign hydrogen fuel generation via water splitting has become a game-changer that can replace fossil fuels. Herein, we report superhydrophilic selenium-anchored nickel phosphide (Ni5P4) on the surface of a low-cost, highly porous melamine foam-graphene-carbon nanotube matrix via the facile solvothermal method. The developed electrocatalyst renders superior electrocatalytic performance with longterm durability for minimum 10 days at a high current density of 300 mA/cm(2) with a small deviation of 2%, allowing the commercialization of the catalyst toward industrialgrade application. The electrocatalytic performance is analyzed in terms of a low overpotential of 130 mV@10 mA/cm(2) with a small Tafel slope of 98 mV/dec. Moreover, the as-designed catalyst has shown a remarkable performance in the smart utilization of waste heat into green fuel production. This work provides an insight into adopting a feasible strategy to develop a low-cost efficient electrocatalyst capable enough for the facile management of waste heat that could be an attractive paradigm of green fuel synthesis via renewable electrochemical energy conversion.

Automated summary

This study reports the development of a low-cost electrocatalyst with excellent durability and electrocatalytic performance for industrial-grade applications. It also demonstrates the ability to convert waste heat into green fuel.