Preparation of Chlorella-based Phosphide Catalysts and Their Improvement of HER Performance

Hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) is a core technology for achieving green hydrogen production, and the development of low-cost, highly active catalysts is key to its industrialization. Transition metal phosphides (TMPs) have emerged as an important alternative to precious metal catalysts due to their superior catalytic performance and significantly lower cost. This study uses chlorella, an environmentally friendly biomass, as raw material to prepare phosphide catalysts. chlorella not only provides carbon and phosphorus sources for catalyst synthesis but also regulates the pore structure and morphology of the catalyst surface through its natural spherical structure, optimizing the distribution of active sites. The study systematically analyzed the catalytic mechanism of phosphides in the HER, including electron transfer pathways, the role of active sites, and the influence of surface reconstruction, while also highlighting the advantages of chlorella as a raw material in terms of composition and synthesis process. The results indicate that phosphide catalysts constructed using chlorella significantly enhance HER catalytic activity by improving the adsorption capacity for the reaction intermediate H* and electron conduction efficiency, providing new insights for the design of biomass-based high-efficiency hydrogen evolution catalysts.