Plasma-assisted synthesis of nickel-cobalt nitride-oxide hybrids for high-efficiency electrochemical hydrogen evolution

The rational design of high-performance electrocatalysts based on nonprecious metals is a key for the development of water-splitting technology. In this work, porous nickel-cobalt nitride-oxide (NiCo-N-O) nanosheet hybrids in a networked configuration are synthesized on carbon cloth through in situ plasma treatment of nickel-cobalt layered double hydroxide (LDH) precursors. The self-supported NiCo-N-O electrodes exhibit the outstanding catalytic activity of hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) with a low overpotential of 50 mV at 10 mA cm(-2) in alkaline conditions. The synergistic effects of the morphology, microstructure, and electron transfer between nickel-cobalt nitride and oxide and the favorable role of introducing bimetallic Ni and Co sites on the enhanced electrocatalytic activities are discussed. This work provides a simple and feasible pathway to prepare porous bimetal nitride-oxide hybrid HER electrocatalysts with high efficiency and stability. (C) 2021 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Automated summary

The study focuses on the rational design of high-performance electrocatalysts based on nonprecious metals for water-splitting technology. The synthesized porous NiCo-N-O nanosheet hybrids on carbon cloth demonstrate outstanding catalytic activity for hydrogen evolution reaction. The discussion highlights the synergistic effects of the morphology, microstructure, and electron transfer between nickel-cobalt nitride and oxide, as well as the importance of introducing bimetallic Ni and Co sites for enhanced electrocatalytic activities.