An ultrathin flocculent Co9S8/Ni3S2 hybrid as high-performance bifunctional catalyst for overall water splitting

Abstract

Modern industrial hydrogen production is a crucial solution to address the energy crisis. Therefore, the development of a cost-effective and highly efficient hydrolytic hydrogen production catalyst holds significant practical importance. In this study, we propose to synthesize an efficient bifunctional electrocatalyst of Co9S8/Ni3S2 grown on nickel foam (NF) by a one-step hydrothermal method, which has a large specific surface area due to its flocculated structure. Through electrochemical testing, the Co9S8/Ni3S2/NF electrode exhibits remarkable performance in both the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER). Specifically, low overpotentials of 53.6, 90.2, and 209.2 mV are required to achieve current densities of 10, 20, and 100 mA/cm2 during HER, respectively. Similarly, for OER, the overpotentials are only 107.6, 150.6, and 350.4 mV. Additionally, the Co9S8/Ni3S2/NF electrode demonstrates a small Tafel slope of 68.7 mV/dec for HER and 91.8 mV/dec for OER, indicating efficient reaction kinetics. Notably, the electrode exhibits exceptional long-term stability. Moreover, in a self-assembled monolithic water splitting device with Co9S8/Ni3S2/NF electrodes as cathode and anode, a cell potential of 1.55 V is required to drive the overall water splitting process at a current density of 10 mA/cm2, and the reaction shows excellent stability with a loss of voltage of only 16.5 mV over a 10-hour period. This paper presents a simple and innovative approach for constructing bimetallic sulfides electrocatalysts.