Bifunctional hierarchical NiCoP@FeNi LDH nanosheet array electrocatalyst for industrial-scale high-current-density water splitting

Aiming to design and prepare non-noble metal electrocatalysts for hydrogen production at high current density (HCD), NiCoP@FeNi LDH hierarchical nanosheets were deposited on nickel foam progressively using a hydrothermal-phosphorization-electrodeposition process. For hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER), NiCoP@FeNi LDH/NF requires only 195 and 230 mV overpotentials to reach 10 0 0 mA cm -2 , respectively. For overall water splitting, only 1.70 V is required at 10 0 0 mA cm -2 . This is the largest value for non-noble metal-based electrocatalysts reported so far at HCD. The hierarchical structure exhibits good electron transport capability and the porous-macroporous structure enhances the gas release rate, resulting in enhanced hydrogen production at HCD. Especially, the synergistic effect of NiCoP and FeNi LDH contributes to the adsorption-desorption equilibrium of intermediate radicals during the reaction process and ultimately enhances the catalytic activity. This work provides useful direction for industrial-scale hydrogen production applications at HCD.(c) 2023 Published by Elsevier Ltd on behalf of The editorial office of Journal of Materials Science & Technology.

Automated summary

In this study, hierarchical nanosheets of NiCoP@FeNi LDH were prepared on nickel foam using a hydrothermal-phosphorization-electrodeposition process as non-noble metal electrocatalysts for hydrogen production at high current density (HCD). The NiCoP@FeNi LDH/NF showed overpotentials of only 195 and 230 mV for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER), respectively, reaching 10 0 0 mA cm-2. For overall water splitting, only 1.70 V was required at 10 0 0 mA cm-2. This work provides valuable insight for industrial-scale hydrogen production at HCD.