Exploring the synergistic role of electron-rich Pd and electron-deficient Ni in promoting electrocatalytic hydrodechlorination

Pd has been widely used in electrocatalytic hydrodechlorination (EHDC) due to its excellent catalytic properties, but the expensive price limits its large-scale application. To address the above issues, Pd/NiFeP-Ti₃C₂T_x/NF electrodes with excellent EHDC capability are prepared by introducing the electron-rich Pd and the electron-deficient Ni. The synergistic role of electron-rich Pd and electron-deficient Ni lowers the energy barrier for active hydrogen (H*) generation by water splitting, thus endowing Pd/NiFeP-Ti₃C₂T_x/NF electrodes excellent ability to generate H*. H* has the lowest migration barrier between Pd and Ni, thus Pd and Ni produce large amounts of H* that can freely migrate to attack adsorbed chlorinated pollutants. Compared to other catalysts, Pd/NiFeP-Ti₃C₂T_x/NF electrode has the highest mass activity and can remove various emerging chlorinated pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs). This is a novel strategy to prepare low-cost electrodes with excellent performance to facilitate the practical application of EHDC technology.