The NiCo Bimetal Catalyst Loaded on Polyvinylidene Fluoride Coated on the Self-Supporting Silk Electrode as an Advanced Electrocatalyst for the Hydrogen Evolution Reaction

Abstract

In this work, a NixCox/Silk-PVDF bimetallic catalyst electrode was prepared for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) in hydropower. This cheap, durable, and efficient electrode has good practical application prospects. Green natural silk, which will pollute the environment. The electrodes (obtained by varying the Ni:Co ratio and hydrothermal times) were prepared hydrothermally. Ni and Co elements were revealed by X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and transmission electron microscopy. Ni2Co2/silk-PVDF was identified as an effective catalyst in 1 M KOH alkaline electrolyte with an overpotential of 89.4 mV at 20 mA cm−2 and a Tafel slope of 47.46 mv dec−1. It showed low resistance and a high specific surface area in EIS and CV tests, respectively, proving its superior HER performance. Finally, the stability and durability of the electrode coated with PVDF were demonstrated via testing at a voltage of −0.1 V over 24 h. This work provides an environmentally friendly and simple method to load metal on a self-supporting electrode to be used in the hydrogen evolution reaction.