Alternating magnetic field improved NiFe@MoS2 monolayer diatomic site catalyst for overall water splitting

Further uprating the catalytic activities of diatomic active sites while maintaining the atomic loading and diatomic coordination by external stimulation is a promising way to break the bottleneck in the improvement of diatomic site catalysts (DASCs). Herein, the as-prepared NiFe@MoS2 DASCs treated by external high-frequency alternating magnetic field (AMF) further expedite the alkaline water electrolysis process with a superior cell voltage of 1.576 V to afford a current density of 10 mA cm(-2) than that treated without AMF (1.652 V). Theoretical simulation by COMSOL Multiphysics helps visualize the increase in temperature locally around the diatomic active sites, qualitatively revealing the magnetic heating effect that originates from the anchored magnetic Ni and Fe atoms. The selective magnetic heating of bifunctional diatomic active site proposed in this work can broaden horizons and endow another dimension in the design of highly efficient catalysts toward various complicated energy-related reactions.

Automated summary

Further uprating the catalytic activities of diatomic active sites while maintaining the atomic loading and diatomic coordination by external stimulation is a promising way to improve diatomic site catalysts. The NiFe@MoS2 DASCs treated with external high-frequency alternating magnetic field exhibit a superior cell voltage of 1.576 V and a current density of 10 mA cm(-2) in alkaline water electrolysis compared to those without magnetic field treatment (1.652 V). The selective magnetic heating of bifunctional diatomic active site proposed in this work can open up new possibilities for the design of highly efficient catalysts for various energy-related reactions.