LAUSR

Different crystalline phase and micro-morphology NixPy compounds have been successfully synthesized via a hydrothermal reaction assisted by urea. The phase transition and morphology change of NixPy compounds were investigated via X-ray diffraction (XRD), inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry (ICP), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The results showed that two different crystalline phases of NixPy compound could be obtained only by adjusting the amount of addition of urea. Moreover, the micro-morphology varied from irregular bulks to fold, beehive-like shape and then to particle-aggregated and finally to a 3D-network with an increase in the amount of urea, which exhibited much higher hydrodechlorination (HDC) activity on trichloroethylene (TCE) than Ni2P without addition of urea. In a word, adding urea is a facile way to prepare NixPy compounds with a controllable crystalline phase and micro-morphology.