The bimetal synergistic bifunctional electrocatalysts for hydrogen evolution and oxygen evolution reactions

In the development of renewable energy systems, finding low-cost and high-performance electrocatalysts for hydrogen evolution reaction and oxygen evolution reaction under the synergistic action of bimetals is a challenge. This paper firstly describes the growth of Zn-Ni-M/NF (M = O/P/Se/S) nanostructured samples on nickel foam through thermal decomposition, phosphating, selenization, and sulfidation. A current density of 50 mA cm−2 is driven at an overpotential of 160 mV for oxygen evolution reaction, and a current density of 10 mA cm−2 is driven at an overpotential of 117 mV for hydrogen evolution reaction. In a two-electrode system, only a cell voltage of 1.49 V is required to drive a current density of 10 mA cm−2, which is almost one of the best catalysts reported so far. In addition, the work also provides a wide range of possibilities for the development of the earth’s abundant resources and that of cheap and efficient catalyst materials.