Nickel-Cobalt Diselenide 3D Mesoporous Nanosheet Networks Supported on Ni Foam: An All-pH Highly Efficient Integrated...

Novel 3D Ni_1-x Co_x Se₂ mesoporous nanosheet networks with tunable stoichiometry are successfully synthesized on Ni foam (Ni_1-x Co_x Se₂ MNSN/NF with x ranging from 0 to 0.35). The collective effects of special morphological design and electronic structure engineering enable the integrated electrocatalyst to have very high activity for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and excellent stability in a wide pH range. Ni_0.89 Co_0.11 Se₂ MNSN/NF is revealed to exhibit an overpotential (η₁₀ ) of 85 mV at -10 mA cm^-2 in alkaline medium (pH 14) and η₁₀ of 52 mV in acidic solution (pH 0), which are the best among all selenide-based electrocatalysts reported thus far. In particular, it is shown for the first time that the catalyst can work efficiently in neutral solution (pH 7) with a record η₁₀ of 82 mV for all noble metal-free electrocatalysts ever reported. Based on theoretical calculations, it is further verified that the advanced all-pH HER activity of Ni_0.89 Co_0.11 Se₂ is originated from the enhanced adsorption of both H⁺ and H₂ O induced by the substitutional doping of cobalt at an optimal level. It is believed that the present work provides a valuable route for the design and synthesis of inexpensive and efficient all-pH HER electrocatalysts.