Wuhan University of Technology

About: Wuhan University of Technology is a education organization based out in Wuhan, China. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Microstructure & Catalysis. The organization has 40384 authors who have published 36724 publications receiving 575695 citations. The organization is also known as: WUT.

Single crystal CdS nanowires with high visible-light photocatalytic H2-production performance

Abstract: Single crystalline hexagonal CdS nanowires were prepared by a solvothermal method using ethylenediamine as a solvent. Pt/CdS nanocomposites were produced by different reduction methods and characterized by X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, UV-visible spectroscopy, nitrogen absorption, pulse H2 chemisorption and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The photocatalytic performance of the as-synthesized Pt/CdS nanocomposites was evaluated towards H2 generation from a lactic acid aqueous solution under visible light (λ ≥ 420 nm). The sample prepared by the NaBH4 reduction method showed a higher photocatalytic H2-production activity than the sample prepared by the photo-reduction deposition method. A remarkable H2-production rate of 1.49 mmol h−1 with a quantum efficiency (QE) of 61.7% was first achieved on the former with a small amount of Pt (0.3 wt%) as a co-catalyst. The photocatalytic activity difference of the samples is because reduction methods influence the size and dispersion of Pt nanoparticles (NPs), which further influence the photocatalytic H2-production activity. The sample from the NaBH4 reduction method contains smaller Pt NPs (ca. 1–2 nm) and has higher Pt dispersion (72%), thus resulting in the higher H2-production activity. Further experiments showed that the one-dimensional nanostructure markedly enhanced the photocatalytic H2-production activity of CdS. After ball milling of the nanowires, which leads to destruction of their structure, the photocatalytic H2-production activity of CdS decreases by more than 30%. The underlying mechanism for the observed photocatalytic H2-production performance of Pt/CdS nanocomposites was discussed.

Flexible molybdenum phosphide nanosheet array electrodes for hydrogen evolution reaction in a wide pH range

Abstract: Searching for non-noble-metal hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) electrocatalysts with high efficiency and excellent durability is a great challenge for the hydrogen-based energy industry. In this paper, a three-dimensional self-supported hydrogen evolution cathode is present, where the MoP nanosheet array was grown on flexible carbon cloth (MoP NA/CC) via a two-step strategy: hydrothermally growing MoS 2 nanosheet array on CC (MoS 2 NA/CC) in advance, and then phosphidation to chemically convert the MoS 2 NA/CC precusor into MoP NA/CC. When used as an integrated three-dimensional electrode for HER, MoP NA/CC shows a quiet low onset overpotential (50 mV vs reversible hydrogen electrode), high current density (j > 10 mA cm −2 at η = 124 mV), and a small Tafel slope (58 mV dec −1 ), as well as remarkable stability (