Liquid-phase High-Pressure Synthesis of New Metal Silicide Electrocatalysts for H2 Production

This proposal aims to investigate the Fe/Ni-Si system under high pressures (HP) to discover new materials for efficient H2 production via water splitting. While room pressure Ni/Fe silicides have shown remarkable electrocatalytic properties, our intention is to exploit the rich structural diversity of these materials under HP to synthesize novel HP metal silicides of high interest for electrocatalysis. We will firstly search for the HP CsCl-type structures of FeSi and NiSi, and then explore the ternary Fe-Ni-Si system. To do so, we will perform syntheses in molten salts using a Paris-Edinburgh (PE) press. In situ X-Ray diffraction will be crucial to monitor phase reactions and structural transformations induced in molten salts under pressures ranging from 2 to 10 GPa and temperatures from 500°C to 2000°C. This endeavor aims to identify intermediates and final products, recoverable due to the large volume press.