OER performance of water electrolysis by micron MoS2 enhanced nickel-cobalt composite electrode

Abstract

Water electrolysis is currently the most efficient and environmentally friendly method of hydrogen production. However, due to its slower oxygen evolution reaction (OER), the preparation of catalytic electrodes with excellent performance becomes the key to improving the efficiency of OER. In this work, Ni–Co–MoS2 composite electrodes with different micro-nanostructures were prepared by magnetic field-assisted jet electrodeposition (MJE), and the effect of micro-nanostructures on the catalytic performance was investigated. The results showed that the specific surface area and wettability of the electrodes were the key to the catalytic performance. The larger specific surface area provided more active sites for water electrolysis, while the larger contact angle led to superhydrophobicity on the electrode surface, which seriously affected the catalytic performance of the electrode. By adding different concentrations of MoS2/Ni mixed particles, we prepared Ni–Co–MoS2 composite electrode with 227 mV overpotential and 50 mV/dec tafel slope at a current density of 10 mA/cm2, and their catalytic performances were not inferior to those of the marketed noble metal-based catalytic electrodes. This study verifies the feasibility of MJE for the preparation of catalytic electrodes. It provides a new idea for more efficient hydrogen production and promotes environmental protection.