Revealing the Structural Aspect of Ultrastable Self-Supportive Bifunctional Electrocatalyst for Solar-Driven Water Splitting

Ultrastable electrode materials for spontaneous fuel production by electrochemical water splitting have received tremendous amounts of attention, because the conventional water electrolysis system is not fully renewable as it needs power from nonrenewable sources. The design of a self-supportive and ultradurable electrocatalyst that is budget-friendly and obtained via a less time-consuming method is therefore extremely necessary to split water into hydrogen and oxygen. It is therefore important to divulge the structural information of a catalyst in order to have extraordinarily stable electrodes for a solar-driven water-electrolysis system. This paper reports a facile electrochemical method for the synthesis of single-phase Cuf@Ni5P4 core–shell nanostructures for overall water splitting in alkaline media. The Cuf@Ni5P4-based cell shows extraordinary stability in working electrolyte for 150 h at a current density of 10 mA cm–2 with 96% retention of its initial potential. The Cuf@Ni5P4∥Cuf@Ni5P4 cell hybridized with a solar cell demonstrates the suitability of the concept toward a hybrid energy device and impulsive generation of H2 and O2. This versatile system opens up a new route for the generation of green fuel toward renewable energy applications.