The development of electrocatalysts for energy conversion systems is essential for alleviating environmental problems and producing useful energy sources as alternatives to fossil fuels. Improving the catalytic performance and stability of electrocatalysts is a major challenge in the development of energy conversion systems. Moreover, understanding their electrode structure is important for enhancing the energy efficiency. Recently, binder‐free self‐supported electrodes have been investigated because the seamless contact between the electrocatalyst and substrate minimizes the contact resistance as well as facilitates fast charge transfer at the catalyst/substrate interface and high catalyst utilization. Electrodeposition is an effective and facile method for fabricating self‐supported electrodes in aqueous solutions under mild conditions. Facile fabrication without a polymer binder and controlability of the compositional and morphological properties of the electrocatalyst make electrodeposition methods suitable for enhancing the performance of energy conversion systems. Herein, we summarize recent research on self‐supported electrodes fabricated by electrodeposition for energy conversion reactions, particularly focusing on cathodic reactions of electrolyzer system such as hydrogen evolution, electrochemical CO2 reduction, and electrochemical N2 reduction reactions. The deposition conditions, morphological and compositional properties, and catalytic performance of the electrocatalyst are reviewed. Finally, the prospective directions of electrocatalyst development for energy conversion systems are discussed.
Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) and MOF-derived materials have been used for several applications, such as hydrogen storage and separation, catalysis, and drug delivery, owing to them having a significantly large surface area and open pore structure. In recent years, MOFs have also been applied to thin-film solar cells, and attractive results have been obtained. In perovskite solar cells (PSCs), the MOF materials are used in the form of an additive for electron and hole transport layers, interlayer, and hybrid perovskite/MOF. MOFs have the potential to be used as a material for obtaining PSCs with high efficiency and stability. In this study, we briefly explain the synthesis of MOFs and the performance of organic and dye-sensitized solar cells with MOFs. Furthermore, we provide a detailed overview on the performance of the most recently reported PSCs using MOFs.
21 February 2018 in Journal of Materials Chemistry A
The catalytic activity of amorphous Co–P–B catalysts electrodeposited on carbon paper (CP) for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) was investigated in aqueous 0.5 M H2SO4 electrolyte.
1 August 2020 in Applied Catalysis B: Environment and Energy