Renewable electrical energy for electrolysis water can achieve green industrial chains for hydrogen production. However, finding efficient electrocatalysts remains a challenge for green hydrogen. Herein, sub-nanometric FeCoP nanosheets with average thickness of 0.9 nm is constructed through 2D self-assembly driven by cavitation effect of ultrasonics and following phosphating. Benefiting from abundant active sites, enhanced H₂O molecular adsorption kinetics, and highly enhanced structural stability, the subcrystalline FeCoP shows excellent electrocatalytic activities of hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and oxygen evolution reactions (OER). Ultralow overpotential of 37 mV is achieved at 10 mA·cm⁻² for HER. When the FeCoP catalyst was used as both cathode and anode for overall water splitting using renewable electrical energy, green hydrogen produced is directly applied for hydrogen fuel cell to drive fan for more than 10 h. Theoretical calculation indicates that subcrystalline FeCoP more easily adsorbs H₂O than crystalline one and thus speeds up the kinetics of Volmer step in HER process.

In order to well arrange active sites and avoid byproducts, the reasonable structured carrier nanocatalyst plays a crucial role in high catalytic performance, but still remains a challenge. Herein, the layered CuNi-Cu₂O/NiAlO_x nanosheets have been constructed through hydrothermal synthesis followed by calcination and H₂ reduction treatment process. The in-situ formed CuNi nanoalloys (NAs) and nano-Cu₂O were evenly distributed on the bilateral surface of layered NiAlO_x nanosheets. Based on the planar structure of nanosheet, the synergy between catalytic active CuNi NAs and photocatalytic active nano-Cu₂O endows CuNi-Cu₂O/NiAlO_x nanosheets with rapid conversion efficiency for catalyzing p-nitrophenol (p-NP, 14 mg·L^-1) to p-aminophenol (p-AP) in 32 s with the reaction rate constant k up to 0.1779 s^-1, and no obvious performance decay can be observed even over 27 cycles. Moreover, high concentration of p-NP at 10 and 20 g·L^-1 could be reduced to p-AP within 14 and 20 min, respectively. Such designed nanoalloy/bimetal-oxide heterostructure can provide a solution for rapid conversion of aminoaromatics from nitroaromatics wastewater even at a large concentration range.

A desirable methanol oxidation electrocatalyst was fabricated by metal atom diffusion to form an alloy of an assembled three-dimensional (3D) radial nanostructure of SnNi nanoneedles loaded with SnNiPt nanoparticles (NPs). Herein, metal atom diffusion occurred between the SnNi support and loaded Pt NPs to form a SnNiPt ternary alloy on the catalyst surface. The as-obtained catalyst combines the excellent catalytic performance of the alloy and advantages of the 3D nanostructure; the SnNiPt NPs, which fused on the surface of the SnNi nanoneedle support, can dramatically improve the availability of Pt during electrocatalysis, and thus elevate the catalytic activity. In addition, the efficient mass transfer of the 3D nanostructure reduced the onset potential. Furthermore, the catalyst achieved a favorable CO poisoning resistance and enhanced stability. After atomic interdiffusion, the catalytic activity drastically increased by 45%, and the other performances substantially improved. These results demonstrate the significant advantage and enormous potential of the atomic interdiffusion treatment in catalytic applications.