Heterostructure MoS2/NiS supported on 3D nano-porous Ni as a highly efficient electrocatalyst for overall water splitting

Abstract

A non-precious metal electrocatalyst with high efficiency significantly impacts sustainable hydrogen production during overall water splitting. Herein, a heterostructure MoS₂/NiS/Ni was grown on 3D nanoporous Ni for the first time via a one-pot hydrothermal method combined with dealloying. The as-prepared MoS₂/NiS/Ni presented low overpotentials of 108 mV (η10) for HER and 283 mV (η50) for OER. When assembled for overall water splitting, a low output potential difference of 1.547 V at 50 mA cm⁻² and prominent durability over 12 h were observed. The remarkable performance of MoS₂/NiS/Ni was attributed to the high catalytic activity of MoS₂/NiS and the fast charge transfer between np-Ni. This highlights the potential for developing non-precious metal electrocatalysts in the field of chemical energy.