Ni nanoparticles oriented on MoO2@BC nanosheets with an outstanding long-term stability for hydrogen evolution reaction

Abstract

Fabrication of stable and efficient electrocatalyst is of paramount importance. Herein, Ni nanoparticles oriented on MoO2 @BC nanosheets with outstanding stability has been synthesized, which exhibits excellent stability for 300 h, an overpotential of 169 mV to deliver a current density of 10 mA cm−2 and Tafel slope of 63 mV dec−1 in 1.0 M KOH medium. The interfacial engineering of the catalyst may be the reason that led to the synergistic outcome for an outstanding performance. In detail, the incorporation of nickel into MoO2 @BC result in upraises: (i) the charge distribution on the surface of the catalyst, (ii) support the exposure of active sites, (iii) assist the B-doping effect by strengthening the co-existence relationships between boron, nickel and MoO2. Therefore, these properties boost the hydrogen adsorption leading to a remarkable HER kinetics. This study unlocks an outstanding HER application.