Constructing CrNiCoO4/MoO3 nanosheets via a multi-step strategy for efficient water splitting

Abstract

The pursuit of high-performance, non-precious electrocatalysts to replace costly noble metals is central to enabling a scalable hydrogen economy. Herein, a defect-rich CrNiCoO₄/MoO₃ nanostructure is designed as a superior electrocatalyst via the multi-step integration of four key strategies: transition metal doping, defect engineering, morphology control, and heterostructure construction. The optimal catalyst demonstrates excellent oxygen evolution reaction (OER) activity, requiring a low overpotential of 260 mV to achieve 50 mA cm⁻², with a small Tafel slope of 45.31 mV dec⁻¹. The superior performance is attributed to the synergistic effect between Cr doping and MoO₃ compositing, which collaboratively optimize the electronic structure and generate abundant active sites, thereby accelerating reaction kinetics. This work enhances the electrocatalytic activity through the synergy of multiple strategies, thereby providing a new pathway for designing advanced electrocatalysts.