Surface Reconstruction of Amorphous Ni─Co─S─O Material with a Functional Gradient Layer for Highly Efficient and...

Area of Science:

• Electrochemistry
• Materials Science
• Sustainable Energy

Background:

• Alkaline water electrolysis is crucial for hydrogen production but limited by slow kinetics and harsh conditions.
• Developing active and durable electrocatalysts for alkaline hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) is essential.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce a novel amorphous electrocatalyst, 3Ni─Co─S─O, for efficient alkaline HER.
• To investigate the catalyst's performance, stability, and surface reconstruction during HER.

Main Methods:

• A straightforward electrodeposition method was used to synthesize the amorphous 3Ni─Co─S─O electrocatalyst.
• Electrochemical testing was performed to evaluate HER activity and durability under alkaline conditions.

Main Results:

• The 3Ni─Co─S─O catalyst achieved an industrial HER current density of 1000 mA cm⁻² at an overpotential of 170 mV.
• The catalyst demonstrated remarkable stability, with only a 15 mV overpotential increase during 24-hour continuous operation at 300 mA cm⁻².
• Surface compositional reconstruction formed a stable, gradient active layer, enhancing performance.

Conclusions:

• The amorphous 3Ni─Co─S─O catalyst offers superior activity and stability for alkaline HER compared to commercial Pt/C.
• This study presents a cost-effective approach for designing high-performance amorphous electrocatalysts for hydrogen production.