Regulation of hydrogen evolution performance of titanium oxide–carbon composites at high current density with a Ti–O hybrid orbital
Meichen Liu,
Zhiping Lei,
Qingping Ke,
Peixin Cui,
Jiancheng Wang,
Jingchong Yan,
Zhanku Li,
Hengfu Shui,
Shibiao Ren,
Zhicai Wang,
Ying Kong,
Shigang Kang
Affiliations
Meichen Liu
Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Coal Clean Conversion and High Valued Utilization, Institute of Material Science & Engineering, School of Chemistry & Chemical Engineering Anhui University of Technology Ma'anshan China
Zhiping Lei
Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Coal Clean Conversion and High Valued Utilization, Institute of Material Science & Engineering, School of Chemistry & Chemical Engineering Anhui University of Technology Ma'anshan China
Qingping Ke
Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Coal Clean Conversion and High Valued Utilization, Institute of Material Science & Engineering, School of Chemistry & Chemical Engineering Anhui University of Technology Ma'anshan China
Peixin Cui
Key Laboratory of Soil Environment and Pollution Remediation, Institute of Soil Science The Chinese Academy of Sciences Nanjing China
Jiancheng Wang
Key Laboratory of Coal Science and Technology Ministry of Education and Shanxi Province, Taiyuan University of Technology Taiyuan China
Jingchong Yan
Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Coal Clean Conversion and High Valued Utilization, Institute of Material Science & Engineering, School of Chemistry & Chemical Engineering Anhui University of Technology Ma'anshan China
Zhanku Li
Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Coal Clean Conversion and High Valued Utilization, Institute of Material Science & Engineering, School of Chemistry & Chemical Engineering Anhui University of Technology Ma'anshan China
Hengfu Shui
Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Coal Clean Conversion and High Valued Utilization, Institute of Material Science & Engineering, School of Chemistry & Chemical Engineering Anhui University of Technology Ma'anshan China
Shibiao Ren
Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Coal Clean Conversion and High Valued Utilization, Institute of Material Science & Engineering, School of Chemistry & Chemical Engineering Anhui University of Technology Ma'anshan China
Zhicai Wang
Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Coal Clean Conversion and High Valued Utilization, Institute of Material Science & Engineering, School of Chemistry & Chemical Engineering Anhui University of Technology Ma'anshan China
Ying Kong
Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Coal Clean Conversion and High Valued Utilization, Institute of Material Science & Engineering, School of Chemistry & Chemical Engineering Anhui University of Technology Ma'anshan China
Shigang Kang
Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Coal Clean Conversion and High Valued Utilization, Institute of Material Science & Engineering, School of Chemistry & Chemical Engineering Anhui University of Technology Ma'anshan China
Abstract Rational design and controllable synthesis of practical electrodes with high stability and activity at high current density for a hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) are critical for renewable and sustainable energy conversion. However, high‐performance TiO2‐based electrocatalysts for HER are quite limited, and the catalytic active centers still remain elusive. Herein, a simple strategy is demonstrated for the synthesis of TiO2–carbon composite (TiO2/C) with high HER performance and stability. The remarkable HER performance of TiO2/C can be ascribed to the doping of carbon atoms, which leads to stronger hybridization of Ti 3d and O 2p orbitals, thus substantially improving the electrocatalytic efficiency. This study elucidates that the hydrogen evolution activity of oxide electrocatalysts can be largely improved by regulating their electronic structures by doping carbon atoms and also provides an effective strategy for designing heterostructured electrocatalysts with high catalytic activity and stability at high current density for HER.
