COBALT NANOCRYSTAL ASSEMBLED HOLLOW NANOPARTICLES FOR ELECTROCATALYTIC HYDROGEN GENERATION FROM NEUTRAL-PH WATER

摘要

Electrolysis of water driven by electricity that is derived from renewable energy sources could provide hydrogen as an ideal energy carrier for clean and sustainable energy technologies. To achieve a high energy conversion efficiency, active catalysts for electrochemical hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) are required. Nature's hydrogenase enzymes drive HER in neutral-pH solution with high efficiency and activity, but suffer from a low density of active sites and poor stability, which limit their practical use. A few non-noble metal compounds have been investigated as catalysts with moderate activity for HER in neutral-pH solution. Therefore, highly active and stable electrocatalysts for HER in neutral-pH solution are highly desired, but remain very difficult to achieve.