An electrochemical modification strategy to fabricate NiFeCuPt polymetallic carbon matrices on nickel foam as stable electrocatalysts for water splitting

Electrochemical modification is a mild and economical way to prepare electrocatalytic materials with abundant active sites and high atom efficiency. In this work, a stable NiFeCuPt carbon matrix deposited on nickel foam (NFFeCuPt) was fabricated with an extremely low Pt load (similar to 28 mu g cm(-2)) using one-step electrochemical co-deposition modification, and it serves as a bifunctional catalyst for overall water splitting and achieves 100 mA cm(-2) current density at a low cell voltage of 1.54 V in acidic solution and 1.63 V in alkaline solution, respectively. In addition, a novel electrolyte was developed to stabilize the catalyst under acidic conditions, which provides inspiration for the development of highly efficient, highly stable, and cost-effective ways to synthesize electrocatalysts.

Automated summary

Electrochemical modification is an effective method for preparing electrocatalytic materials. This study successfully fabricated a stable NiFeCuPt carbon matrix on nickel foam, with a very low Pt load. The obtained material served as a bifunctional catalyst for water splitting, achieving high current density at low cell voltages in both acidic and alkaline solutions. Additionally, a novel electrolyte was developed to stabilize the catalyst under acidic conditions.