Highly durable and efficient hydrogen production from alkaline seawater using pulse-deposited NiMoP nanosphere electrocatalysts

Abstract

This study describes the synthesis of high-performance cauliflower-like NiMoP nanosphere electrocatalysts on a titanium mesh via a scalable pulse electrodeposition technique. The optimized cauliflower-like NiMoP demonstrates remarkable activity for the hydrogen evolution reaction in alkaline seawater, requiring only 50.3 mV overpotential to drive 10 mA cm⁻² and exhibiting exceptional durability, with only 0.5% current degradation over 24 hours. This superior performance is attributed to a unique combination of an amorphous structure, a high-surface-area morphology, and synergistic electronic effects among the Ni, Mo, and P components. This work not only presents a top-tier catalyst but also validates pulse electrodeposition as a powerful strategy for engineering catalyst architecture and electronic properties, opening a promising pathway for scalable and efficient hydrogen generation directly from saline environments.