Abstract
Defect-engineering and heterojunction-creating on a catalyst have been endorsed as effective approaches to enhance the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) behavior. By skillfully employing the transformation of Cu2S/Ni3S2 to NiO/Cu2O and the electroreduction of partial Cu2O to Cu/Cu2O for the O-vacancy (Ov) production and in-situ reactions for the heterostructure construction, we fabricated a self-supported heterostructured hybrid with Ov-rich Cu/Cu2O coupled with few NiO grown in-situ on the NiCu bimetallic foam (named as Cu/NiO/Cu2O@NCF). Cu/NiO/Cu2O@NCF records a low overpotential of 79 mV at 10 mA cm−2 with a small Tafel slope of 60 mV dec−1 and sustained the activity without distinct decay for 100 h towards catalyzing HER in 1.0 M KOH. More profoundly, density functional theory computations reveal that Ov-Cu2O holds a much lower energy barrier for the rate-determining step of the H2O dissociation and a more electron density with respect to Ov-NiO, thereby accelerating the alkaline HER kinetics.
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
