In situ phosphoselenization induced heterointerface engineering endow NiSe2/Ni2P/FeSe2 hollow nanocages with efficient water oxidation electrocatalysis performance

Abstract

Exploiting Earth-abundant and highly effective electrocatalysts toward the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) is critical for boosting water splitting efficiency. Herein, we proposed a novel in situ phosphoselenization strategy to fabricate heterostructured NiSe₂/Ni₂P/FeSe₂ (NiFePSe) nanocages with a modified electronic structure and well-defined nanointerfaces. Owing to the strong interfacial coupling and synergistic effect among the three components, the prepared NiFePSe nanocages exhibit superior OER performance with an ultralow overpotential of 242 mV at 10 mA cm⁻² and a small Tafel slope of 55.8 mV dec⁻¹ along with robust stability in 1 M KOH. Remarkably, the highly open 3D porous architecture, delicate internal voids, and numerous surface defects endow the NiFePSe nanocages with abundant active sites and enhanced electron mobility. In addition, the super-hydrophilic surface is conducive to facilitating mass transfer between the electrolyte and electrode and rapidly releasing the bubbles. This work may lead to new breakthroughs in the tuning of multi-component transition metal catalysts and the designing of highly active and durable materials for water splitting.