Efficient electrocatalytic glucose oxidation coupled water electrolysis driven by Ni-foam supported Ni–P nanowire arrays†

Abstract

Using the thermodynamically favorable glucose oxidation reaction (GOR) to replace the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) not only enables energy-efficient hydrogen production but also yields high-value products for water electrolysis. Herein, self-supported nickel phosphide nanowire arrays on Ni foam (Ni–P@NF) were facilely synthesized for GOR-assisted hydrogen production. Ni–P@NF can provide a current density of 100 mA cm⁻² for the GOR at 1.32 V (vs. RHE) and yield formic acid as the main product with the Faraday efficiency up to 97%. The partial reconstruction of Ni–P into NiOOH on the surface during the GOR was recognized to comprehend the GOR catalytic mechanism. By coupling the GOR and HER with Ni–P@NF as the electrode, a low voltage of 1.43 V is required to drive a current density of 10 mA cm⁻² for stable hydrogen generation and glucose conversion simultaneously. Thus, this work achieved energy-efficient hydrogen production and formic acid generation, providing well-aligned Ni–P nanowire arrays as catalysts for biomass oxidation-assisted water splitting.