Facile Preparation of Nickel Sulfide Films for Electrocatalytic Water Reduction to Hydrogen

Lia Bogoev

Document Type

Presentation

Journal/Book Title/Conference

USU Student Showcase

Publication Date

4-2014

Faculty Mentor

Yujie Sun

Abstract

Hydrogen, when generated directly from water with renewal energy input, is a promising energy carrier for sustainable energy applications. As such, synthetic catalysts of hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) that mimic the function of hydrogenase enzymes have attracted broad interest, however it remains a significant challenge to develop efficient and robust molecular systems composed of earth-abundant elements to carry out the water reduction reaction under ambient conditions. Solid-state inorganic materials offer an alternative strategy to meet this goal. Inspired by the core structure of nickel-containing hydrogenases, we have developed nickel sulfide films prepared by facile potential dynamic deposition as competent HER catalysts in neutral aqueous media. By optimizing the deposition parameters, we are able to systematically control the composition and activity of the catalyst. A wide array of characterization techniques such as SEM, XPS, and XRD, have been applied to probe the morphology, composition, and structure of the catalytic materials. Detailed electrochemistry experiments were carried out to investigate its catalytic performance not only in neutral aqueous buffer but also in natural water source, such as Great Salt Lake water. Importantly, the electrodeposition method for the nickel sulfide film is compatible with semiconductors, thus representing an opportunity to conduct photoelectrocatalytic HER under light irradiation.

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