An efficient and robust chain-mail electrocatalyst Ni2P @ g-C3N4 for oxygen evolution in alkaline solution

The development of an efficient, durable and inexpensive catalyst for electrocatalytic water splitting is a daunting challenge and has attracted the interest of a large number of researchers. In this study, a novel oxygen evolution reaction (OER) electrocatalyst based on graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) layers encapsulated with Ni2P nanoflowers (Ni2P @ g-C3N4) is synthesized, which exhibits low overpotentials of 237 mV for OER at 10 mA cm−2 and remarkable stability. The combination of the reactive Ni2P core and the chain-mail material is an important reason for the excellent electrocatalytic performance. The robust g-C3N4 chain-mail protects the internal transition metal phosphides (TMPs) core from the harsh reaction environment, and well balances the catalytic activity and stability. As the core of the catalyst, the encapsulated Ni2P nanoflower core can transport electrons to the surface of the chain-mail layer. Our work demonstrates an efficient and robust Ni-based chain-mail electrocatalyst and provides a novel prospect for the development of the electrocatalyst.