In situ fabrication of a 3D self-supported porous Ni–Mo–Cu catalyst for an efficient hydrogen evolution reaction

Abstract

It is still a challenge to develop very effective and stable non-noble catalysts for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). Here, a self-supported porous Ni–Mo–Cu coating is prepared by the dynamic hydrogen bubble template (DHBT) method. This three-dimensional (3D) porous Ni–Mo–Cu coating can offer a large surface area, which helps expose more active sites and promote the transmission of electrons and materials. To achieve this, the 3D porous Ni–Mo–Cu coating catalyst requires a low overpotential value of 70 mV at 10 mA cm⁻² in 1 M KOH and stable catalytic properties at a high current density of 500 mA cm⁻² for more than 10 h with no obvious evidence of degradation. DFT calculations show the source of the excellent catalytic performance of the 3D porous Ni–Mo–Cu catalyst in alkaline media, including the kinetic energy and adsorption energy. This work provides significant insight into the design of efficient 3D porous materials.