Laser-Induced Vertical Graphene Nanosheets for Electrocatalytic Hydrogen Evolution

Efficient and affordable electrocatalysts are fundamental for the sustainable production of hydrogen from water electrolysis. Here, an approach for the rapid production of laserinduced vertical graphene nanosheets (LIVGNs) through the exfoliation of the graphite foil under laser irradiation is prese...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores: Chaitoglou, Stefanos, Ma, Yang, Ospina, Rogelio, Farid, Ghulam, Serafin, Jarosław, Amade Rovira, Roger, Bertrán Serra, Enric
Tipo de recurso: artículo
Estado:Versión publicada
Fecha de publicación:2024
País:España
Institución:Universidad de Barcelona
Repositorio:Dipòsit Digital de la UB
OAI Identifier:oai:dnet:ubarcelona__::3b9df093f99035d42227fb4f172dd06f
Acceso en línea:https://hdl.handle.net/2445/228584
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:Nanofotònica
Grafit
Làsers
Nanophotonics
Graphite
Lasers
Descripción
Sumario:Efficient and affordable electrocatalysts are fundamental for the sustainable production of hydrogen from water electrolysis. Here, an approach for the rapid production of laserinduced vertical graphene nanosheets (LIVGNs) through the exfoliation of the graphite foil under laser irradiation is presented.The density of the formed LIVGNs is ∼3 per 100 μm2. On leveraging the inherent flexibility and conductivity of the graphite foil substrate, the resulting LIVGNs exhibit a 2.2-fold increase incapacitance, making them promising candidates for electrode applications. The laser-induced surface reconstruction introduces abundant sharp edges to the LIVGNs, enhancing their electrocatalyticpotential for hydrogen evolution. In electrocatalytic hydrogen evolution tests in acidic media, the LIVGNs demonstrate superior performance with a remarkable decrease in the required overpotential at 10 mA cm−2, from −555 mV for the pristine graphite foil to −348 mV for LIVGNs. This improvement is attributed to the active sites provided by the sharp edges, facilitating hydrogen species adsorption. Furthermore, the hydrophilic behavior of LIVGNs is enhanced through the anchoring of oxygencontaining groups, promoting the rapid release of the produced hydrogen bubbles. Importantly, the modified LIVGN electrode exhibits long-term stability across a wide range of current densities during chronoamperometry tests. This research introduces a transformative strategy for the efficient preparation of vertical graphene sheets on conductive graphite foils, showcasing their potential applications in electrocatalysis and energy storage.