Deep eutectic Solvents-Assisted synthesis of NiFe-LDHs/Mo₂Ti₂C₃: A bifunctional electrocatalyst for overall...

The development of efficient and stable electrocatalysts is crucial for the advancement of green and clean hydrogen energy technologies. In this work, we synthesized a nanocomposite of nickel-iron layered double hydroxide/molybdenum titanium carbide (NiFe-LDHs/Mo₂Ti₂C₃) using a deep eutectic solvent (DESs) by the solvothermal method. The formation of NiFe-LDHs/Mo₂Ti₂C₃ nanocomposite was confirmed by various electron microscopic and spectroscopic techniques. The synthesized nanocomposite was investigated as a bifunctional electrocatalyst for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER) under the alkaline condition. The NiFe-LDHs/Mo₂Ti₂C₃-based electrodes exhibit small overpotentials of 204 and 306 mV for HER and OER at a current density of 10 mA cm^-2. The anchor of NiFe-LDHs on the surface of Mo₂Ti₂C₃ induces an interfacial synergistic effect, leading to a significantly improvement in electrochemical performance. Remarkably, the proposed NiFe-LDHs/Mo₂Ti₂C₃ modified electrode demonstrates superior performance compared to many recently reported LDHs and MXenes-based electrocatalysts in an alkaline environment. Furthermore, a symmetrical two-electrode water splitting setup employing the NiFe-LDHs/Mo₂Ti₂C₃ electrocatalyst requires an electrolysis voltage of 1.65 V to achieve a current density of 10 mA cm^-2. The findings provide a new perspective on the rational design and synthesis of multifunctional electrocatalysts for electrochemical applications.