Crystalline/amorphous nickel sulfide interface for high current density in alkaline HER: surface and volume confinement matters!

Abstract

In this work, we demonstrate an interface on porous nickel foam (NN) between crystalline nickel sulfide and amorphous nickel sulfide (NNS/NNS_x) adapting simple hydrothermal and facile electrodeposition processes, respectively. The developed electrocatalyst required a low overpotential of 15 mV to deliver a current density of 10 mA cm⁻² and the interface intrinsically activates the electrocatalyst with an onset overpotential comparable to that of Pt in an alkaline hydrogen evolution reaction.