Ethylene glycol diethyl ether accelerated in-situ growth of Pt/Ni(OH)2 nanosheets on Ni foam for efficient alkaline hydrogen evolution reaction

Abstract

The hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) activity of Pt-based electrocatalysts in alkaline solution is typically limited by the rate of water dissociation. Herein, we report a facile one-step strategy in the synthesis of Pt/Ni(OH)2 heterojunction for enhanced HER activity. Ultrathin Ni(OH)2 nanosheets decorated with uniformly dispersed Pt nanoparticles at average sizes of 2.2 nm are in-situ grown on nickel foam (NF) with binder-free feature under mild conditions due to induction by ethylene glycol diethyl ether, even without adding extra Ni2+ sources. The synthesized Pt/Ni(OH)2/NF shows superior HER activity in 1.0 M KOH solution, achieving low overpotentials of 42, 91, and 114 mV at current densities of 10, 100, and 200 mA cm−2 and outstanding durability for 25 h at 25 mA cm−2 without noticeable Pt agglomeration. This work offers a mechanistic insight into one-step fabrication of Pt/Ni(OH)2-based catalyst with high activity and stability for HER.