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Nanomaterials
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Nanoscale Materials as Catalysts for the Hydrogen Evolution Reaction
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Nanoscale Materials as Catalysts for the Hydrogen Evolution Reaction

A special issue of Nanomaterials (ISSN 2079-4991). This special issue belongs to the section "Nanophotonics Materials and Devices".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (20 August 2024) | Viewed by 12250

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Wenhui Feng

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Hunan Province Key Laboratory of Applied Environmental Photocatalysis, Changsha University, Changsha, 410022, China
Interests: green hydrogen production technology; atomic-level catalyst modification; thermodynamics and kinetics of hydrogen evolution; nanomaterials; renewable energy

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Hydrogen (H2) is considered as a green energy carrier with the highest energy density per unit mass, and water is the only product of its combustion. Today, most H2 is produced from fossil resources through a steam reforming process that involves significant fossil fuel consumption and CO2 emissions. Thus, efficient and sustainable H2 production technologies are urgently needed, although some green hydrogen production technologies (such as photocatalysis, electrocatalysis, piezocatalysis, etc.)  have attracted extensive attention and been widely regarded as promising strategies to solve the increasing global energy crisis and environmental problems. The large-scale application for green hydrogen production technologies is severely restricted by the low efficiency, poor stability and high production costs to date. Hence, seeking highly active, stable and low-cost catalysts is of great significance for realizing industrial-scale H2 generation.

This Special Issue focuses on exploiting new materials; modifying the existing materials (such as textural and crystal modification, interfacial heterostructure construction, elements doping, noble metal loading, surface sensitization and so on); demonstrating the thermodynamics and kinetics of hydrogen evolution; and revealing the underlying catalytic mechanism. Potential topics include but are not limited to the above aspects. The issue aims to attract researchers in order to improve hydrogen evolution efficiency and promote industrialized application for green hydrogen production technology.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Wenhui Feng
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • photocatalysis
  • electrocatalysis
  • piezocatalysis
  • single-atom catalysis
  • heterogeneous catalysts
  • surface/interface engineering
  • defect engineering
  • new materials
  • thermodynamics and kinetics of hydrogen evolution

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Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

14 pages, 9414 KiB  
Article
Charge Transfer in n-FeO and p-α-Fe2O3 Nanoparticles for Efficient Hydrogen and Oxygen Evolution Reaction
by Amir Humayun, Nandapriya Manivelan and Kandasamy Prabakar
Nanomaterials 2024, 14(18), 1515; https://doi.org/10.3390/nano14181515 - 18 Sep 2024
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2070
Abstract
This study aims to explore the n-FeO and p-α-Fe2O3 semiconductor nanoparticles in hydrogen (HER) and oxygen (OER) evolution reactions and a combined full cell electrocatalyst system to electrolyze the water. We have observed a distinct electrocatalytic performance for both HER [...] Read more.
This study aims to explore the n-FeO and p-α-Fe2O3 semiconductor nanoparticles in hydrogen (HER) and oxygen (OER) evolution reactions and a combined full cell electrocatalyst system to electrolyze the water. We have observed a distinct electrocatalytic performance for both HER and OER by tuning the interplay between iron oxidation states Fe2+ and Fe3+ and utilizing phase-transformed iron oxide nanoparticles (NPs). The Fe2+ rich n-FeO NPs exhibited superior HER performance compared to p-α-Fe2O3 and Fe(OH)x NPs, which is attributed to the enhancement in n-type semiconducting nature under HER potential, facilitating the electron transfer for the reduction in H+ ions. In contrast, p-α-Fe2O3 NPs demonstrated excellent OER activity. An H-cell constructed using n-FeO||p-α-Fe2O3 NPs as cathode and anode achieved a cell voltage of 1.87 V at a current density of 50 mA/cm2. The cell exhibited remarkable stability after 30 h of activation and maintained the high current density of 100 mA/cm2 for 80 h with a negligible increase in cell voltage. This work highlights the semiconducting properties of n-FeO and p-α-Fe2O3 for the electrochemical water splitting system using the band bending phenomenon under the applied potential. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nanoscale Materials as Catalysts for the Hydrogen Evolution Reaction)
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14 pages, 7322 KiB  
Article
Construction of Inverse–Opal ZnIn2S4 with Well–Defined 3D Porous Structure for Enhancing Photocatalytic H2 Production
by Yiyi Xie, Zhaohui Wu, Sifan Qi, Jiajun Luo, Shuang Pi, Huanghua Xu, Shumin Zhang, Difa Xu, Shiying Zhang and Xianfeng Yang
Nanomaterials 2024, 14(10), 843; https://doi.org/10.3390/nano14100843 - 11 May 2024
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1643
Abstract
The conversion of solar energy into hydrogen using photocatalysts is a pivotal solution to the ongoing energy and environmental challenges. In this study, inverse opal (IO) ZnIn2S4 (ZIS) with varying pore sizes is synthesized for the first time via a [...] Read more.
The conversion of solar energy into hydrogen using photocatalysts is a pivotal solution to the ongoing energy and environmental challenges. In this study, inverse opal (IO) ZnIn2S4 (ZIS) with varying pore sizes is synthesized for the first time via a template method. The experimental results indicate that the constructed inverse opal ZnIn2S4 has a unique photonic bandgap, and its slow photon effect can enhance the interaction between light and matter, thereby improving the efficiency of light utilization. ZnIn2S4 with voids of 200 nm (ZIS–200) achieved the highest hydrogen production rate of 14.32 μ mol h−1. The normalized rate with a specific surface area is five times higher than that of the broken structures (B–ZIS), as the red edge of ZIS–200 is coupled with the intrinsic absorption edge of the ZIS. This study not only developed an approach for constructing inverse opal multi–metallic sulfides, but also provides a new strategy for enriching efficient ZnIn2S4–based photocatalysts for hydrogen evolution from water. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nanoscale Materials as Catalysts for the Hydrogen Evolution Reaction)
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21 pages, 7424 KiB  
Article
Selective Thermal and Photocatalytic Decomposition of Aqueous Hydrazine to Produce H2 over Ag-Modified TiO2 Nanomaterial
by Shaeel Ahmed Althabaiti, Zaheer Khan, Katabathini Narasimharao, Salem Mohamed Bawaked, Soad Zahir Al-Sheheri, Mohamed Mokhtar and Maqsood Ahmad Malik
Nanomaterials 2023, 13(14), 2076; https://doi.org/10.3390/nano13142076 - 15 Jul 2023
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2347
Abstract
An Ag-modified TiO2 nanomaterial was prepared by a one-pot synthesis method using tetra butyl titanate, silver nitrate, and sodium hydroxide in water at 473 K for 3 h. X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and transmission electron microscopy were used to determine the [...] Read more.
An Ag-modified TiO2 nanomaterial was prepared by a one-pot synthesis method using tetra butyl titanate, silver nitrate, and sodium hydroxide in water at 473 K for 3 h. X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and transmission electron microscopy were used to determine the structure and morphology of the synthesized Ag-modified TiO2 nanomaterial. The diffuse reflectance UV-visible and photoluminescence spectroscopy results revealed that metallic Ag nanoparticles decreased the optical band gap and photoluminescence intensity of the TiO2. In addition, the Raman peak intensity and absorbance were increased after Ag modification onto TiO2. The photocatalytic efficiency of the synthesized samples was tested for decomposition of aqueous hydrazine solution under visible light irradiation. The photocatalytic efficiency of Ag-modified TiO2 nanomaterials was higher than that of bare TiO2 and Ag metal NPs due to the synergistic effect between the Ag metal and TiO2 structures. In addition, the surface plasmon resonance (SPR) electron transfer from Ag metal particles to the conduction band of TiO2 is responsible for superior activity of TiO2-Ag catalyst. The Ag-modified TiO2 nanomaterials offered a 100% H2 selectivity within 30 min of reaction time and an apparent rate constant of 0.018 min−1 with an activation energy of 34.4 kJ/mol under visible light radiation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nanoscale Materials as Catalysts for the Hydrogen Evolution Reaction)
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14 pages, 6922 KiB  
Article
MOF-Derived CoNi Nanoalloy Particles Encapsulated in Nitrogen-Doped Carbon as Superdurable Bifunctional Oxygen Electrocatalyst
by Li Wang, Jiewen Liu, Chuanjin Tian, Wenyan Zhao, Pengzhang Li, Wen Liu, Liang Song, Yumin Liu, Chang-An Wang and Zhipeng Xie
Nanomaterials 2023, 13(4), 715; https://doi.org/10.3390/nano13040715 - 13 Feb 2023
Cited by 11 | Viewed by 2968
Abstract
Carbon-encapsulated transition metal catalysts have caught the interest of researchers in the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) and the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) due to their distinctive architectures and highly tunable electronic structures. In this work, we synthesized N-doped carbon encapsulated with CoNi nanoalloy [...] Read more.
Carbon-encapsulated transition metal catalysts have caught the interest of researchers in the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) and the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) due to their distinctive architectures and highly tunable electronic structures. In this work, we synthesized N-doped carbon encapsulated with CoNi nanoalloy particles (CoNi@NC) as the electrocatalysts. The metal-organic skeleton ZIF-67 nanocubes were first synthesized, and then Ni2+ ions were inserted to generate CoNi-ZIF precursors by a simple ion-exchange route, which was followed by pyrolysis and with urea for the introduction of nitrogen (N) at a low temperature to synthesize CoNi@NC composites. The results reveal that ZIF-67 pyrolysis can dope more N atoms in the carbon skeleton and that the pyrolysis temperature influences the ORR and OER performances. The sample prepared by CoNi@NC pyrolysis at 650 °C has a high N content (9.70%) and a large specific surface area (167 m2 g−1), with a positive ORR onset potential (Eonset) of 0.89 V vs. RHE and half-wave potential (E1/2) of 0.81 V vs. RHE in 0.1 M KOH, and the overpotential of the OER measured in 1 M KOH was only 286 mV at 10 mA cm−2. The highly efficient bifunctional ORR/OER electrocatalysts synthesized by this method can offer some insights into the design and synthesis of complex metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) hybrid structures and their derivatives as functional materials in energy storage. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nanoscale Materials as Catalysts for the Hydrogen Evolution Reaction)
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17 pages, 6154 KiB  
Article
One-Pot Facile Synthesis of CuO–CdWO4 Nanocomposite for Photocatalytic Hydrogen Production
by Shaeel Ahmed Althabaiti, Maqsood Ahmad Malik, Manoj Kumar Khanna, Salem Mohamed Bawaked, Katabathini Narasimharao, Soad Zahir Al-Sheheri, Bushra Fatima and Sharf Ilahi Siddiqui
Nanomaterials 2022, 12(24), 4472; https://doi.org/10.3390/nano12244472 - 16 Dec 2022
Cited by 11 | Viewed by 2357
Abstract
Hydrogen (H2) is a well-known renewable energy source that produces water upon its burning, leaving no harmful emissions. Nanotechnology is utilized to increase hydrogen production using sacrificial reagents. It is an interesting task to develop photocatalysts that are effective, reliable, and [...] Read more.
Hydrogen (H2) is a well-known renewable energy source that produces water upon its burning, leaving no harmful emissions. Nanotechnology is utilized to increase hydrogen production using sacrificial reagents. It is an interesting task to develop photocatalysts that are effective, reliable, and affordable for producing H2 from methanol and acetic acid. In the present study, CuO, CdWO4, and CuO–CdWO4 nanocomposite heterostructures were prepared using a cost-efficient, enviro-friendly, and facile green chemistry-based approach. The prepared CuO, CdWO4, and CuO–CdWO4 nanocomposites were characterized using X-ray diffraction pattern, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, diffuse reflectance ultraviolet–visible spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, selected area electron diffraction (SAED) pattern, N2 physisorption, photoluminescence, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy techniques. The synthesized photocatalysts were utilized for photocatalytic H2 production using aqueous methanol and acetic acid as the sacrificial reagents under visible light irradiation. The influence of different variables, including visible light irradiation time, catalyst dosage, concentration of sacrificial reagents, and reusability of catalysts, was studied. The maximum H2 was observed while using methanol as a sacrificial agent over CuO–CdWO4 nanocomposite. This enhancement was due to the faster charge separation, higher visible light absorption, and synergistic effect between the CuO–CdWO4 nanocomposite and methanol. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nanoscale Materials as Catalysts for the Hydrogen Evolution Reaction)
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