Zr and Mo doping to modulate the electronic structure of Ni3S2 for OER electrocatalysis

Abstract

To enter the era of a clean and sustainable hydrogen economy, it is crucial to first discover non-precious metal electrocatalysts that can be used for oxygen evolution reaction (OER) in electrochemical water splitting. In this work, highly active and durable Zr and Mo co-doped Ni3S2 catalyst (ZrMo–Ni3S2/NF) loaded on Ni foams for OER in alkaline media were prepared using a simple one-step hydrothermal method. The resulting nanocomposites were characterized by various methods and evaluated for their electrocatalytic performance towards OER. The ZrMo–Ni3S2/NF nanocomposite exhibites excellent OER electrocatalytic activity with a low overpotential of 257 mV at a current density of 10 mA cm−2 as well as an excellent electrochemical stability, showing only a slight decay during the 70 h test period. The remarkable electrocatalytic performance of the ZrMo–Ni3S2/NF electrode is attributed to the synergistic strong electronic interaction between the co-doped Zr and Mo. This work not only demonstrates a highly electrocatalytic active OER catalyst for water splitting, but also provides a new perspective on the development of highly active OER catalysts through doping strategies.