Janus bimetallic materials as efficient electrocatalysts for hydrogen oxidation and evolution reactions

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Electrochemistry
• Renewable Energy

Background:

• High cost of platinum group metals (PGM) hinders hydrogen energy development.
• Need for efficient, PGM-free electrocatalysts for hydrogen electrodes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose Janus Ni/W bimetallic materials as an effective PGM-free bifunctional hydrogen electrocatalyst.
• To investigate the synergistic effects of Ni and W on catalytic performance.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of Janus Ni/W bimetallic materials on a nickel foam (NF) substrate.
• Electrochemical characterization to evaluate hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and hydroxide oxidation reaction (HOR) performance.

Main Results:

• Ni/W@NF achieved a HER current density of 10 mA cm⁻² at an overpotential of 62.6 mV.
• The material exhibited a HOR exchange current density of 1.83 mA cm⁻².
• Demonstrated synergistic effects between Ni and W, enhancing reaction kinetics.

Conclusions:

• Janus Ni/W bimetallic materials are a promising PGM-free bifunctional electrocatalyst.
• This design offers a new strategy for high-efficiency, low-cost hydrogen electrocatalysts.