Search

• The P-Co 2 MnO 4 /NF was synthesized by hydrothermal treatment, oxidation and P-doping. • The unique straw-like nanoneedle arrays provided large ECSA and rich active sites. • P-doping had the greatly improved HER activities. • The P-Co 2 MnO 4 /NF exhibited excellent HER activities in wide pH range of electrolytes. Developing high-performance and cut-price non-noble-metal electrocatalysts for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) is desirable yet challenging. Herein, straw-like phosphorus-doped Co 2 MnO 4 nanoneedle arrays supported on nickel foam (P-Co 2 MnO 4 /NF) were prepared by successive hydrothermal treatment, oxidation and P doping for high-efficiency HER. Benefiting from the unique needle-like arrays and compositions advantages, P-Co 2 MnO 4 /NF exhibited excellent HER activities with the overpotentials of 33, 43 and 102 mV to afford a current density of 10 mA cm−2 in alkaline, acidic and neutral media, respectively, coupled with the long-term electrochemical stability. This work affords an effective avenue for preparation of cost-effectiveness, high-efficiency and wide-pH HER catalysts for electrochemical energy technologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Hierarchically multi-branched PdRuCu NAs were prepared by a one-step aqueous method. • NP-40 and NaBr as co-directing agents had synergistic effects in the formation of the specific architectures. • The hierarchically multi-branched nanostructures had the large ECSA. • The PdRuCu NAs showed the superior catalytic activity and stability towards EOR and EGOR. Shaped-controlled synthesis of high-efficiency electrocatalysts towards ethanol oxidation reaction (EOR) and ethylene glycol oxidation reaction (EGOR) is important for development of alcohol alkaline fuel cells. Herein, one-step aqueous method was developed for constructing hierarchically multi-branched PdRuCu nanoassemblies (NAs) under the guidance of octylphenoxypolyethoxyethanol (NP-40) and NaBr. The as-obtained PdRuCu NAs exhibited dramatically enhanced electrocatalytic activity and improved stability for EOR and EGOR in alkaline solution. The mass/specific activity of the as-prepared catalysts for EOR (1.16 A mg−1 Pd /3.78 mA cm−2) and EGOR (1.29 A mg−1 Pd /4.19 mA cm−2) were steeply higher than those of commercial Pd black (0.17 A mg−1 Pd /1.81 mA cm−2; 0.21 A mg−1 Pd /2.27 mA cm−2), respectively. This work would provide some valuable insights for synthesis of advanced polymetallic electrocatalysts in fuel cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]