Self-supporting trimetallic NiCoFe layered-double-hydroxide/amorphous sulfide heterostructure on nickel foam for efficient water splitting

Abstract

For efficient overall water splitting, a ternary layered double hydroxide (LDH) and sulfide (NiCoFeLDH/NiCoFeS) composite on nickel foam (NF) has been developed as a bifunctional catalytic electrode. The growth of NiCoFeLDH/NiCoFeS–NF catalysts take place employing a three-step process that involves hydrothermal-sulfurization-hydrothermal reaction. Ultrafine nano-needle NiCo(OH)2 is deposited on the NF using a hydrothermal process, followed by immersion in Na2S solution, which ensures its mild conversion to NiCo sulfide. The Fe ions incorporated during the secondary hydrothermal process participate in the dissolution-recrystallization process of the lattice and modify the electronic structure, thereby significantly enhancing endogenous activity. The hetero-structured interface between NiCoFeLDH and NiCoFeS provides additional catalytic reaction sites, improves electronic interactions, and facilitates water dissociation kinetics. NiCoFeLDH/NiCoFeS–NF demonstates improved performance in both oxygen evolution reaction (OER) and hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). The HER and OER overpotentials are measured to be only 191 and 241 mV at a current density of 100 mA cm−2 in 1 M KOH solution, respectively. Therefore, when NiCoFeLDH/NiCoFeS–NF has been employed as bifunctional electrodes for water splitting, 50 mA cm−2 is reached at only 1.63 V.