Ni2P with phosphorus vacancy supported Pt clusters for efficiently electrocatalytic co-production of hydrogen and value-added chemicals from methanol-water at low potential

Low loading Pt clusters are deposited on Ni2P with phosphorus vacancy which is coated at carbon cloth (Vp-Ni2P-Pt/CC). And Vp-Ni2P-Pt/CC is synthesized as efficient bifunctional electrocatalysts for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and selective methanol oxidation reaction (MOR) at methanol–water co-electrolysis. The loading of Pt is only 12.97 μg cm−2, and the synergistic effect with the substrate material Ni2P enables efficient MOR at low potential (0.6 V vs RHE), and the mass activity of Pt can reach 9.16 A mg-1Pt. Compared with the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) in the water electrolysis, the MOR potential is negatively shifted by 931 mV during co-electrolysis, and the energy consumption of hydrogen production is saved by 40–55%. Moreover, value-added chemicals formate is simultaneously co-generated while without CO2 emission.