Catalysis

Oxygen evolution

Engineering

Electrochemistry

Metallurgy

Materials science

Water splitting

Inorganic chemistry

Chemical engineering

Electrocatalyst

Physical chemistry

Organic chemistry

Chemistry

Electrode

Nickel

Photocatalysis

Electrolyte

Electrolysis

Overpotential

Bifunctional

International Journal of Hydrogen Energy

It is great important to develop and explore a non-precious bifunctional electrocatalyst with high efficiency and good stability for Hydrogen Evolution Reaction (HER) and Oxygen Evolution Reaction (OER) in alkaline electrolyte. Herein, a three-dimensional (3D) needle-like MoS2/NiS heterostructure supported on Nickel Foam (NF) (MoS2/NiS/NF) is synthesized by a simple hydrothermal method for the first time, which can act as a good bifunctional electrocatalyst for overall water splitting. As expected, the optimal MoS2/NiS/NF exhibits excellent catalytic performance with a low overpotential of 87 and 216 mV at 10 mA cm−2 for HER and OER in 1 M KOH electrolyte, respectively, accompanied by good cycle stability. Furthermore, the MoS2/NiS/NF as bifunctional electrocatalyst in an electrolyzer shows high efficiency with a cell voltage of 1.5 V at 10 mA cm−2, as well as superior durability. The present work may open a new direction to design and develop a non-precious bifunctional electrocatalyst with excellent catalytic activity for water splitting in the future.

MoS2/NiS heterostructure grown on Nickel Foam as highly efficient bifunctional electrocatalyst for overall water splitting