Interface regulation of Mn3O4-Ni2P/Ni(PO3)2 heterostructure nano-corals for electrocatalytic water and seawater splitting

A coral-like Mn 3 O 4 -Ni 2 P/Ni(PO 3 ) 2 heterostructure material is designed for electrocatalytic water and seawater splitting. • The construction of Mn 3 O 4 -Ni 2 P/Ni(PO 3 ) 2 heterostructure regulate the electronic structure and expand more reactive sites. • Both Mn 3 O 4 and Ni(PO 3 ) 2 lower the adsorption energy of Cl − , inhibiting the Cl − oxidation side reaction. • As both anode and cathode, Mn 3 O 4 -Ni 2 P/Ni(PO 3 ) 2 demonstrates stable operation over 200 h. • The generation of phosphate effectively avoid the impact of chlorine evolution during seawater electrolysis. Seawater splitting represents a highly viable method for sustainable hydrogen generation. Nevertheless, the substantial energy demands involved in seawater electrolysis present considerable obstacles, primarily stemming from the chlorine evolution reaction (CER) and the suboptimal hydrogen generation. In this study, multi-component synergistic Mn 3 O 4 -Ni 2 P/Ni(PO 3 ) 2 heterostructure nano-coral catalyst was prepared by a gentle two-step method. It exhibits excellent corrosion resistance and electrochemical performance during alkaline seawater splitting. The generation of phosphate on its surface can effectively avoid the impact of CER during seawater electrolysis. Moreover, as both the anode and cathode, it demonstrates exceptional stability, maintaining consistent performance over 200 h. The Mn 3 O 4 -Ni 2 P/Ni(PO 3 ) 2 heterogeneous structure efficiently controls its electronic structure and expands its reactive regions. This work introduces an innovative design approach for catalysts, revealing their substantial potential for practical seawater splitting applications. Download: Download high-res image (32KB) Download: Download full-size image