Toward Scalable Synthesis of Mo2C/MoNi4 Heterojunction Catalysts on Ni Mesh via Laser Radiation for Efficient H2 Production in Alkaline Electrolysis

Abstract

The alkaline electrolysis is the dominant production method for hydrogen since non-noble Ni metals can be used as catalysts. The low activity of the commercial nickel mesh (NM) electrodes remains a considerable obstacle to reducing energy consumption for water splitting. Conducting surface modification on commercial NM is a promising tactic to improve the hydrog enevolution reaction (HER) intrinsic activity of NM catalysts. Herein, Mo₂C/MoNi₄ heterojunction coating on the NM substrate via a laser Radiation strategy is designed. The results indicate that the Mo₂C_8.5/MoNi₄/NM delivers an extremely low overpotential to trigger HER (η₁₀ = 49.5 mV) processes and maintains a stable overpotential for 100 h in alkaline media. The experimental and theoretical calculations reveal that the downshifted d-band center of Ni in MoNi₄ caused by two-phase heterojunction can regulate the free energy of reactive intermediates adsorption & desorption, thereby accelerating the entire HER process. This work will open up an avenue for developing highly efficient Ni-based heterostructured electrocatalysts for commercial HER electrode application.