Work

Kinetic study of HER inhibition and OER promotion with selenization on Rh/Ni(OH)2 catalysts

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: The rational design and construction of efficient and stable bifunctional electrocatalysts remain a significant challenge in advancing the development of overall water splitting technology. In this work, Rh/Ni(OH) 2 and Rh/Ni 3 Se 4 catalysts are successfully fabricated on nickel foam (NF) substrates for cathodic hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and anodic oxygen evolution reaction (OER), respectively. The influence of selenization on the kinetics of the HER and OER catalyzed by Rh/Ni(OH) 2 is systematically investigated. Results demonstrate that selenization ( Rh/Ni 3 Se 4 ) promotes the generation of high-valent Ni and significantly reduces the charge transfer resistance, thereby enhancing the OER activity. However, selenization increases the adsorption and desorption energy barriers of H intermediates, leading to a decrease in HER performance. At a current density of 10 mA cm −2 , the HER overpotential of the Rh/Ni 3 Se 4 /NF catalyst increases by 19 mV while the OER overpotential decreases by 50 mV compared to Rh/Ni(OH) 2 /NF. Notably, an asymmetric electrolyzer utilizing these catalysts operates stably for over 800 h at a current density of 500 mA cm −2 and maintains stability for 1000 h in start-stop cycle tests. This work provides a theoretical basis and experimental reference for the rational design of selenide catalysts.

Source: Sustainable materials and technologies

DOI: 10.1016/j.susmat.2025.e01814

Authors: Dongdong Qin, Xingyun Li, Farhat Nosheen, Xueyan Wu, Yan Lv, Jixi Guo

Institutions: Xinjiang University, University of Sargodha

Language: English

Topic: Electrocatalysts for Energy Conversion

Subfield: Renewable Energy, Sustainability and the Environment

Field: Energy

Domain: Physical Sciences

SDG: Affordable and clean energy

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $4,150