Hydrogen production catalyst, preparation method and application thereof

Abstract

The application relates to the technical field of materials, and particularly discloses a hydrogen production catalyst, a preparation method and application thereof. The preparation method of the catalyst comprises the following steps: (1) dissolving a metal salt in ethanol to obtain a metal salt solution, and mixing the metal salt solution with water and 1,2-epoxybutane to obtain a precursor solution; the volume ratio of the water to the 1,2-epoxybutane is 1:(1-5); (2) fully immersing a foamed nickel matrix in the precursor solution; (3) drying and curing the immersed foamed nickel matrix by using a Joule heating device; the treatment time is 1-10 seconds; and (4) performing heat treatment in an atmosphere; the heat treatment temperature is 200-500 DEG C, and the heat treatment time is 0.5-3 hours. The catalyst is high in loading capacity, low in overpotential and stable in performance, is suitable for the field of water electrolysis hydrogen production, is simple and efficient in preparation process, low in cost, and has a good industrial application prospect.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of materials, in particular to a hydrogen production catalyst and a preparation method and application thereof. BACKGROUND

[0002] Water electrolysis for hydrogen production as a green and sustainable hydrogen production technology has become a research hotspot in the field of clean energy. The core lies in the development of efficient water electrolysis catalysts to improve the performance of oxygen evolution reaction (OER) and hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). However, existing catalysts still face challenges in activity, stability, cost, and large-scale application feasibility. Improving the activity and stability of the catalyst while reducing the preparation cost is the key to solving the bottleneck of water electrolysis for hydrogen production.

[0003] Currently, transition metal-based catalysts have attracted widespread attention due to their excellent activity and stability in alkaline water electrolysis. Among them, foam metal (such as foam nickel) has become an ideal catalyst substrate due to its three-dimensional porous structure, high specific surface area, and good electrical conductivity. However, existing foam metal-based catalysts have significant problems in practical application: first, the loading of active components is low, usually less than 1 Mg / cm 2 , which cannot meet the needs of industrial high current density; second, the catalyst has weak adhesion to the substrate, which is easy to fall off, resulting in poor stability and short service life; third, traditional preparation methods (such as solution deposition, oven drying, or high-temperature calcination) are time-consuming (several hours to several days), energy-consuming, and low-efficiency, which limits the rapid scale-up production.

[0004] For example, CN111101151A reports a molybdenum-doped cobalt selenide foam nickel composite electrode, which exhibits high-efficiency bifunctional catalytic activity and is suitable for industrial water electrolysis, but the problem of weak adhesion between the catalyst and the substrate has not been solved. CN118086955A proposes a method for preparing a structured water electrolysis catalyst by sulfur / phosphorus / nitrogen reduction calcination, which improves the surface activity and stability, but the process is complex, the equipment requirements are high, and the production difficulty is increased. CN114016050A discloses a iron-molybdenum-doped nickel sulfide / foam nickel bifunctional electrode, which shows certain performance advantages, but the long-term stability of the substrate is insufficient, and the preparation process is time-consuming.

[0005] In summary, the existing technology has obvious deficiencies in achieving high loading, strong adhesion, and rapid preparation, and the complexity and high cost of the process further limit its industrial application. Therefore, developing a simple and efficient water electrolysis catalyst preparation method that takes into account high loading and rapid preparation has become a technical problem to be solved. SUMMARY

[0006] One of the purposes of the present application is to provide a hydrogen production catalyst with high loading, long service life, good stability, and short preparation cycle.

[0007] The present application provides a method for preparing a catalyst, comprising:

[0008] (1) dissolving a metal salt in ethanol to obtain a metal salt solution, and then mixing the metal salt solution with water and 1,2-epoxybutane to obtain a precursor solution;

[0009] The concentration of the metal salt in the metal salt solution is 0.01-2.0 M;

[0010] The volume ratio of the total volume of the metal salt solution, water and 1,2-epoxybutane is 5: (1-3);

[0011] The volume ratio of water and 1,2-epoxybutane is 1: (1-5);

[0012] (2) immersing a clean nickel foam substrate in the precursor solution prepared in step (1);

[0013] (3) drying and curing the immersed nickel foam substrate obtained in step (2) using a Joule heating device; the drying and curing time is 1-10 seconds;

[0014] (4) performing heat treatment under an atmosphere; the heat treatment temperature is 200-500°C (preferably, 200-450°C), the heat treatment time is 0.5-3 hours (preferably, 1-3 hours), and the gas in the atmosphere includes one or more of argon, nitrogen, hydrogen and ammonia.

[0015] In the present application, a gel-like precursor solution with a specific composition is first prepared by a room temperature sol-gel method, the hydrolysis rate is adjusted by controlling the ratio of water and 1,2-epoxybutane, the uniform distribution and high loading of metal elements in the gel are ensured, and a specific gel-like metal oxyhydroxide is prepared. Then, the limited adsorption of the gel-like precursor solution in the pore structure of the nickel foam (achieved by the viscosity of the gel-like precursor solution and the three-dimensional pore structure of the nickel foam) is utilized, so that the active components are uniformly distributed and firmly attached on the surface and in the pores of the nickel foam substrate, avoiding falling off in subsequent processing. Then, the immersed nickel foam substrate is quickly dried and cured using a Joule heating device, and then heat treatment under different atmospheres is performed according to the application requirements. The finally obtained catalyst has high loading and good stability, and the processing time can be significantly shortened compared to traditional room temperature drying or oven drying.

[0016] In the method of the present application, the heat treatment can be performed under different atmospheres to regulate the composition and performance of the catalyst (such as the bifunctional catalytic activity of the catalyst in oxygen evolution reaction (OER) and hydrogen evolution reaction (HER)) according to the application scenario of the catalyst.

[0017] In the method of the present application, the metal salt is selected from one or more of nickel nitrate, cobalt nitrate, iron nitrate, copper nitrate, chromium nitrate, manganese nitrate, molybdenum chloride, tungsten chloride, ruthenium chloride, iridium chloride.

[0018] The concentration of the metal salt in the metal salt solution can be flexibly regulated (preferably 0.15-2M) according to the solubility of the metal salt and the electrode performance requirements, and the gel-like precursor solution (gel-like metal oxyhydroxide) contains one or more metal elements selected from nickel, cobalt, iron, copper, chromium, manganese, molybdenum, tungsten, ruthenium, and iridium. When multiple metal elements are used in combination, the performance of the catalyst can be improved through synergistic effect.

[0019] In the catalyst of the present application, the active metal component can be loaded at a loading amount of 0.5-200 Mg per square centimeter of the surface of the nickel foam substrate, and the loading amount of the active metal component can be regulated by the concentration of the metal salt.

[0020] In step (3) of the method of the present application, the voltage of the Joule heating device during the drying and curing treatment is 8-15V, and the current is 3-8A.

[0021] The Joule heating device is powered by a direct current power supply, and heat is generated by the current between the electrodes to achieve rapid drying and curing of the infiltrated substrate, which shortens the treatment time by more than 95% compared to the traditional oven heating method.

[0022] In step (1) of the method of the present application, the time for thorough mixing is 30-60 minutes.

[0023] In step (2) of the method of the present application, the time for thorough infiltration is 10-20 minutes.

[0024] In step (4) of the method of the present application, the heating rate during the heat treatment is 1-5℃ / min.

[0025] In the method of the present application, the cleaning method of the nickel foam substrate comprises: sequentially ultrasonic cleaning with hydrochloric acid, water and ethanol for 10-15 minutes, and then vacuum drying.

[0026] The nickel foam substrate can be cleaned by ultrasonic cleaning to remove the surface oxide layer and impurities before infiltration, and the cleaning liquid is preferably 3M HCl solution, deionized water and ethanol in sequence, and then the nickel foam substrate can be dried under vacuum conditions of 50℃ and -0.1MPa.

[0027] The present application also provides a catalyst prepared by the above method.

[0028] The catalyst of the present application has an active layer with a high loading amount of active metal component, and the loading amount is 0.5-200 Mg / cm 2and exhibit low overpotential and excellent long-term stability in the water electrolysis reaction, wherein the metal is selected from one or more of nickel, cobalt, iron, copper, chromium, manganese, molybdenum, tungsten, ruthenium, iridium.

[0029] The catalyst of the present application has an overpotential of less than 320 mV for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) and an overpotential of less than 160 mV for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) at a current density of 100 mA / cm 2

[0030] The present application also provides the use of the above-mentioned catalyst in the electrolysis of water to produce hydrogen.

[0031] The catalyst of the present application is a structured water electrolysis catalyst, which can significantly improve the electrocatalytic performance of the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) and the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) in water electrolysis through the optimization of the surface structure design, and is particularly suitable for industrial application in the alkaline water electrolysis to produce hydrogen.

[0032] The present application also provides a method for producing hydrogen, which comprises the step of electrolyzing water with the above-mentioned catalyst.

[0033] The present application has at least the following advantages:

[0034] High loading and strong binding force: The present application realizes high loading (0.5-200 Mg / cm 2 ) of the active component on the nickel foam substrate through the limited adsorption of the specific gel-like precursor solution, and firmly binds the substrate, effectively reducing the shedding during use and improving the stability and life of the catalyst.

[0035] Fast preparation and low energy consumption: The present application shortens the drying and curing time to 1-10 seconds through Joule heating technology, saves more than 95% time compared with traditional oven heating, has low energy consumption, and significantly improves the production efficiency.

[0036] Simple process and low cost: The present application does not require high-temperature and high-pressure equipment, and the process is simple, uses ethanol as a solvent, and the metal salt raw material is widely available, so the preparation process is safe and simple, and the equipment and production costs are reduced.

[0037] Excellent catalytic performance: The catalyst prepared by the present application has low overpotential and high stability, which can reduce the energy consumption of water electrolysis reaction, improve the hydrogen production efficiency, maintain activity in long-term operation, and has excellent industrial application prospect.

[0038] In general, the structured water electrolysis catalyst and the preparation method thereof provided by the present application significantly improve the catalyst performance and production efficiency through high loading design and fast preparation process, and provide an efficient and low-cost solution for the field of water electrolysis to produce hydrogen. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS ​

[0039] Figure 1 This is a scanning electron microscope (SEM) image of the catalyst prepared in Example 1, with a scale of 500 μm.

[0040] Figure 2 1 is a linear sweep voltammetry (LSV) curve of the catalyst prepared in Example 1. In the figure, a is the LSV curve of OER, and b is the LSV curve of HER.

[0041] Figure 3 1 is a linear sweep voltammetry (LSV) curve of the catalyst prepared in Example 2. In the figure, a is the LSV curve of OER, and b is the LSV curve of HER.

[0042] Figure 4 3 is a linear sweep voltammetry (LSV) curve of the catalyst prepared in Example 3. In the figure, a is the LSV curve of OER, and b is the LSV curve of HER.

[0043] Figure 5 This is a scanning electron microscope (SEM) image of the catalyst prepared in Example 4, with a scale of 500 μm.

[0044] Figure 6 1 is a linear sweep voltammetry (LSV) curve of the catalyst prepared in Example 4. In the figure, a is the LSV curve of OER, and b is the LSV curve of HER.

[0045] Figure 7 1 is a linear sweep voltammetry (LSV) curve of the catalyst prepared in Example 5. In the figure, a is the LSV curve of OER, and b is the LSV curve of HER. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0046] The preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the examples. It should be understood that the following examples are provided for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. Those skilled in the art may make various modifications and substitutions to the present invention without departing from the purpose and spirit of the present invention.

[0047] The experimental methods used in the following examples are conventional methods unless otherwise specified. The materials, reagents, etc. used in the following examples, unless otherwise specified, can be obtained from commercial sources or prepared according to conventional methods in the art. The nickel foam substrate used in the examples of the present invention was purchased from Shengernuo Energy Mall, with a surface density of 280 g / m 3 , the porosity is 95%.

[0048] Example 1: Preparation of Ni-based high-load structured water electrolysis catalyst

[0049] A 50 mL ethanol solution containing 1.0 M nickel nitrate was prepared as a precursor solution (metal salt solution), and after being stirred uniformly, 5 mL of deionized water and 10 mL of 1,2-epoxybutane (volume ratio of water to 1,2-epoxybutane 1:2) were added, and the mixture was stirred at room temperature for 30 minutes to form a uniform gel-like Ni-based precursor solution.

[0050] A 5 cm × 5 cm piece of nickel foam substrate was sequentially cleaned with 3M HCl solution, deionized water and ethanol for 15 minutes each, and after removing the surface oxide layer and impurities, the cleaned nickel foam was immersed in the gel-like precursor solution for 10 minutes, and the active components were uniformly attached to the pore structure of the nickel foam by the limited adsorption of the gel. The immersed nickel foam substrate was placed in a joule heating device, and a heat effect was generated by a direct current power source (voltage 10 V, current 5 A) to rapidly dry and solidify the sample for 5 seconds. The obtained sample was placed in a tube furnace, and the temperature was increased to 350°C at a rate of 3°C / min under a hydrogen atmosphere, and after being kept at 350°C for 3 hours, the sample was naturally cooled to obtain a Ni-based structured electrolytic water catalyst. The catalyst was observed under a microscope, and the SEM image is shown in FIG. 2. Figure 1 .

[0051] It was determined that the active component loading of the catalyst was 10.2 Mg / cm 2 In a 1M KOH electrolyte, a three-electrode test system (Hg / HgO as a reference electrode and graphite as a counter electrode) was used for hydrogen production reaction, the scanning rate was 5 MV / s, and the current density was 100 MA / cm 2 The overpotential of the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) was 319 MV, the overpotential of the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) was 159 MV, and there was no obvious performance degradation after continuous operation for 100 hours.

[0052] The linear sweep voltammetry (LSV) curve of the catalyst is shown in FIG. 3. Figure 2 .

[0053] Example 2: Preparation of a CoMo-based high-loading structured electrolytic water catalyst

[0054] A 50 mL ethanol solution containing 0.1 M cobalt nitrate and 0.05 M molybdenum chloride was prepared as a precursor solution, and after being stirred uniformly, 2.5 mL of deionized water and 7.5 mL of 1,2-epoxybutane (volume ratio of water to 1,2-epoxybutane 1:3) were added, and the mixture was stirred at room temperature for 40 minutes to form a gel-like CoMo-based precursor solution.

[0055] A piece of 5 cm x 5 cm nickel foam substrate was cleaned and dried according to the method of Example 1, and then immersed in the prepared gel-like precursor solution, soaked for 15 minutes, and the active components were adsorbed by limited adsorption using the viscosity of the gel and the three-dimensional pore structure of the nickel foam. The soaked nickel foam substrate was placed in a joule heating device, and a direct current power source (voltage 12V, current 4A) was applied for rapid drying and curing for 8 seconds to obtain a preliminary sample. The obtained sample was placed in a tube furnace, and heated to 400°C at a rate of 1°C / min under an argon atmosphere, and then naturally cooled after holding for 2 hours to obtain a CoMo-based structured electrolytic water catalyst.

[0056] It was determined that the active component loading of the catalyst was 5.8 Mg / cm 2 In a 1M KOH electrolyte, hydrogen production reaction was carried out using a three-electrode test system (Hg / HgO as reference electrode and graphite as counter electrode), the scan rate was 5 MV / s, and the current density was 100 MA / cm 2 The OER overpotential was 268 MV, the HER overpotential was 93 MV, and the performance remained stable after continuous operation for 120 hours.

[0057] The linear sweep voltammetry (LSV) curve of the catalyst is shown in Figure 3 .

[0058] Example 3: Preparation of FeNi-based high-loading structured electrolytic water catalyst

[0059] A 50 mL ethanol solution containing 0.1 M iron nitrate and 0.1 M nickel nitrate was prepared as a precursor solution, and after stirring uniformly, 4 mL of deionized water and 16 mL of 1,2-epoxybutane (volume ratio of water to 1,2-epoxybutane was 1:4) were added, and stirred at room temperature for 50 minutes to form a gel-like FeNi-based precursor solution.

[0060] A piece of 5 cm x 5 cm nickel foam substrate was cleaned and dried according to the method of Example 1, and then immersed in the prepared gel-like precursor solution, soaked for 15 minutes, and the active components were adsorbed by limited adsorption using the viscosity of the gel and the three-dimensional pore structure of the nickel foam. The soaked nickel foam substrate was placed in a joule heating device, and a direct current power source (voltage 12V, current 4A) was applied for rapid drying and curing for 8 seconds to obtain a preliminary sample. The obtained sample was placed in a tube furnace, and heated to 400°C at a rate of 1°C / min under an argon atmosphere, and then naturally cooled after holding for 2 hours to obtain a CoMo-based structured electrolytic water catalyst.

[0061] It was determined that the active component loading of the catalyst was 5.8 Mg / cm 2In 1M KOH electrolyte, hydrogen production reaction was carried out by using a three-electrode test system (Hg / HgO as reference electrode and graphite as counter electrode), the scan rate was 5 MV / s, the current density was 100 MA / cm 2 , the OER overpotential was 251 MV, the HER overpotential was 109 MV, and the excellent performance was still maintained after 150 hours of continuous operation.

[0062] The linear sweep voltammetry (LSV) curve of the catalyst is shown in Figure 4 .

[0063] Example 4: Preparation of Ru-based structured electrolytic water catalyst

[0064] A 50 mL ethanol solution containing 2.0 M ruthenium chloride was prepared as a precursor solution, and after being uniformly stirred, 5 mL of deionized water and 25 mL of 1,2-epoxybutane (volume ratio of water to 1,2-epoxybutane was 1:5) were added, and the gel-like Ru-based precursor solution was formed after being stirred at room temperature for 60 minutes.

[0065] A 5 cm × 5 cm piece of nickel foam substrate was cleaned and dried according to the method of Example 1, and then immersed in the prepared gel-like precursor solution for 20 minutes, and high-concentration active component adhesion was achieved by using confined adsorption. The immersed nickel foam was placed in a joule heating device, and a direct current power source (voltage 15 V, current 8 A) was applied for rapid drying and curing for 10 seconds to obtain a preliminary sample. The obtained sample was placed in a tube furnace, and was heated to 200°C at a rate of 2°C / min under a nitrogen atmosphere, and was naturally cooled after being kept at 200°C for 3 hours to obtain a Ru-based structured electrolytic water catalyst. Microscopic observation was performed on the catalyst, and the SEM image is shown in Figure 5 .

[0066] It was determined that the active component loading of the catalyst was 135.6 Mg / cm 2 In 1M KOH electrolyte, hydrogen production reaction was carried out by using a three-electrode test system (Hg / HgO as reference electrode and graphite as counter electrode), the scan rate was 5 MV / s, the current density was 100 MA / cm 2 , the OER overpotential was 271 MV, the HER overpotential was 89 MV, and the performance was stable after 200 hours of continuous operation.

[0067] The linear sweep voltammetry (LSV) curve of the catalyst is shown in Figure 6 .

[0068] Example 5: Preparation of NiCuW-based structured electrolytic water catalyst

[0069] A 50 mL ethanol solution containing 0.09 M nickel nitrate, 0.01 M copper nitrate and 0.05 M tungsten chloride was prepared as a precursor solution, and after being stirred uniformly, 5 mL of deionized water and 5 mL of 1,2-epoxybutane (volume ratio of water to 1,2-epoxybutane being 1:1) were added, and the mixture was stirred at room temperature for 30 minutes to form a gelled NiCuW precursor solution.

[0070] A 5 cm × 5 cm piece of nickel foam substrate was cleaned and dried according to the method of Example 1, and then immersed in the prepared gelled precursor solution for 15 minutes to allow the active components to adhere by virtue of the limited adsorption of the gel. The immersed nickel foam was placed in a joule heating device, and a direct current power supply (voltage 8 V, current 3 A) was applied to rapidly dry and solidify the sample for 2 seconds to obtain a preliminary sample. The obtained sample was placed in a tube furnace, and was heated to 450°C at a rate of 4°C / min under an ammonia atmosphere, and was held at this temperature for 1.5 hours before being allowed to cool naturally to obtain a NiCuW-based structured electrolytic water catalyst.

[0071] It was determined that the active component loading of the catalyst was 13.2 Mg / cm 2 In a 1 M KOH electrolyte, hydrogen production was carried out using a three-electrode test system (Hg / HgO as the reference electrode and graphite as the counter electrode) at a scan rate of 5 MV / s, and the current density was 100 MA / cm 2 The OER overpotential was 307 MV, and the HER overpotential was 67 MV, and the performance was stable after continuous operation for 200 hours.

[0072] The linear sweep voltammetry (LSV) curve of the catalyst is shown in Figure 7 .

[0073] Comparative Example 1: Preparation without joule heating drying

[0074] A 50 mL ethanol solution containing 1.0 M nickel nitrate was prepared as a precursor solution, and after being stirred uniformly, 5 mL of deionized water and 10 mL of 1,2-epoxybutane (volume ratio of water to 1,2-epoxybutane being 1:2) were added, and the mixture was stirred at room temperature for 30 minutes to form a gelled Ni-based precursor solution. A 5 cm × 5 cm piece of nickel foam substrate was cleaned and dried according to the method of Example 1, and then immersed in the prepared gelled precursor solution for 10 minutes. The joule heating drying step was omitted, and the immersed sample was directly placed in a tube furnace under a hydrogen atmosphere, and was heated to 350°C at a rate of 3°C / min, and was calcined for 3 hours to obtain a catalyst.

[0075] It was determined that the active component loading of the catalyst was 2.1 Mg / cm 2In 1M KOH electrolyte, hydrogen production reaction was carried out by using a three-electrode test system (Hg / HgO as reference electrode and graphite as counter electrode), the scan rate was 5 MV / s, the current density was 100 MA / cm 2 The OER overpotential was 350 MV, the HER overpotential was 330 MV, and the active component was obviously detached after 50 hours of operation, resulting in a significant decrease in performance.

[0076] Comparative Example 2: Preparation of a catalyst without a gel-like precursor

[0077] A 50 mL ethanol solution containing 0.1 M cobalt nitrate and 0.05 M molybdenum chloride was prepared as a precursor solution, and no water or 1,2-epoxybutane was added. The solution was stirred uniformly. A 5 cm × 5 cm piece of foam nickel substrate was cleaned and dried according to the method of Example 1, and then immersed in the prepared solution for 15 minutes. The immersed foam nickel was placed in a joule heating device, and a direct current power source (voltage 12 V, current 4 A) was applied for rapid drying and curing for 8 seconds. The obtained sample was placed in a tube furnace, and heated to 400°C at a rate of 1°C / min under an argon atmosphere, and then naturally cooled after being kept at 400°C for 2 hours to obtain a catalyst.

[0078] It was determined that the active component loading of the catalyst was 5.6 Mg / cm 2 In 1M KOH electrolyte, hydrogen production reaction was carried out by using a three-electrode test system (Hg / HgO as reference electrode and graphite as counter electrode), the scan rate was 5 MV / s, the current density was 100 MA / cm 2 The OER overpotential was 340 MV, the HER overpotential was 320 MV, and the activity decreased significantly after 60 hours of operation.

[0079] Comparative Example 3: Change in the ratio of water to 1,2-epoxybutane

[0080] A 50 mL ethanol solution containing 1.0 M nickel nitrate was prepared as a precursor solution, and 5 mL of deionized water and 50 mL of 1,2-epoxybutane (water to 1,2-epoxybutane volume ratio of 1:10) were added after stirring uniformly. The solution was stirred at room temperature for 30 minutes, and an uneven gel was formed, with some precipitation.

[0081] A 5 cm × 5 cm piece of foam nickel substrate was cleaned and dried according to the method of Example 1, and then immersed in the solution prepared in step (1) for 10 minutes. The immersed foam nickel was placed in a joule heating device, and a direct current power source (voltage 10 V, current 5 A) was applied for rapid drying and curing for 5 seconds to obtain a preliminary sample. The obtained sample was placed in a tube furnace, and heated to 350°C at a rate of 3°C / min under a hydrogen atmosphere, and then naturally cooled after being kept at 350°C for 3 hours to obtain a catalyst.

[0082] The activity component loading of the catalyst was determined to be 3.5 Mg / cm 2 The hydrogen production reaction was carried out in 1M KOH electrolyte using a three-electrode test system (Hg / HgO as reference electrode and graphite as counter electrode) at a scanning rate of 5 MV / s and a current density of 100 MA / cm 2 The oxygen evolution reaction (OER) overpotential was 380 MV, the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) overpotential was 289 MV, and the activity decreased significantly after 80 hours of operation.

[0083] Although the present application has been described in detail with general description and specific embodiments above, some modifications or improvements can be made on the basis of the present application, which is obvious to those skilled in the art. Therefore, these modifications or improvements made without departing from the spirit of the present application are within the scope of the present application.

Claims

1. A method for preparing a catalyst, characterized in that: include: (1) dissolving a metal salt in ethanol to obtain a metal salt solution, and then fully mixing it with water and 1,2-butylene oxide to obtain a precursor solution; The concentration of the metal salt in the metal salt solution is 0.01-2.0 M; The volume ratio of the metal salt solution to the total volume of water and 1,2-butylene oxide is 5:(1-3); The volume ratio of water to 1,2-butylene oxide is 1:(1-5); (2) fully immersing the clean nickel foam substrate in the precursor solution prepared in step (1); (3) using a Joule heating device to dry and solidify the nickel foam substrate obtained in step (2); the drying and solidification time is 1-10 seconds; (4) performing heat treatment under an atmosphere, wherein the heat treatment temperature is 200-500° C., the heat treatment time is 0.5-3 hours, and the gas in the atmosphere includes one or more of argon, nitrogen, hydrogen, and ammonia.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The metal salt is selected from one or more of nickel nitrate, cobalt nitrate, iron nitrate, copper nitrate, molybdenum chloride, tungsten chloride, and ruthenium chloride.

3. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that In step (3), during the drying and curing process, the voltage of the Joule heating device is 8-15V and the current is 3-8A.

4. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that In step (4), the heating rate during the heat treatment is 1-5°C / min.

5. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that In step (1), the time for thorough mixing is 30-60 minutes.

6. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that In step (2), the time for full infiltration is 10-20 minutes.

7. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that The cleaning method of the foam nickel substrate comprises: ultrasonic cleaning with hydrochloric acid, water and ethanol in sequence for 10-15 minutes, and then vacuum drying.

8. A catalyst, characterized in that The method is prepared by any one of claims 1 to 7.

9. Use of the catalyst according to claim 8 in producing hydrogen by electrolysis of water.

10. A method for producing hydrogen, characterized in that: The method comprises the step of electrolyzing water using the catalyst according to claim 8.

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