Green electrosynthesis of CuN3 energetic materials coupled with energy-saving hydrogen production reaction

Oxygen evolution reaction (OER) is central to efficient hydrogen production . Replacing OER with thermodynamically more favorable anodic oxidation reaction can effectively improve the energy conversion efficiency in overall water splitting (OWS). Here, a new coupling system of green electro-oxidation synthesis of CuN 3 primary explosive energetic materials and energy-saving hydrogen production is introduced. The cathodic catalyst is prepared by a two-step hydrothermal reaction to load ruthenium nanoparticles (Ru NPs) on the surface of three-dimensional (3D) molybdenum sulfide nanosheets (MoS 2 -NSs), and shows superior alkaline hydrogen production (HER) activity. Theoretical calculations reveal that the introduction of Ru NPs would induce local electron redistribution of in-plane MoS 2 and optimize the adsorption capacity of the intermediates. The electro-oxidation synthesis of CuN 3 energetic materials coupled with cathodic HER significantly reduce the cell voltage to only 1.07 V with current density of 10 mA cm −2 , allowing low-energy-consumption hydrogen production. Meanwhile, the green electrosynthesis of CuN 3 avoids generation of high-risk HN 3 gas, high temperature, and long reaction time in the traditional method. This study demonstrates a new strategy of green electrosynthesis of primary explosive and energy-saving hydrogen production.