Synergetic Metal Defect and Surface Chemical Reconstruction into NiCo2 S4 /ZnS Heterojunction to Achieve Outstanding Oxygen Evolution Performance.

Abstract

Defect and interface engineering are recognized as effective strategies to regulate electronic structure and improve activity of metal sulfide. However, the practical application of sulfide is restricted by their low conductivity and rapid decline in activity derived from large volume fluctuation during electrocatalysis process. More importantly, the determination of exact active site of sulfide is complicated due to the inevitable electrochemical reconstruction. Herein, ZnS nanoparticles with Zn defect are anchored onto the surface of NiCo2 S4 nanosheet to construct NiCo2 S4 /ZnS hybrids, which exhibit outstanding oxygen evolution performance with an ultralow overpotential of 140 mV. The anchoring of defective ZnS nanoparticles inhibit the volume expansion of NiCo2 S4 nanosheet during the cycling process. Density-functional theory reveals that the build-in interfacial potential and Zn defect can facilitate the thermodynamic formation of *O to *OOH, thus improve their intrinsic activity.