Construction of Biomass-Derived Hybrid Electrodes for High-Performance Hydrogen Evolution Reaction

Abstract

Electrocatalytic water splitting reaction is a sustainable method for producing hydrogen at a large scale, which provides a promising pathway for energy transition. However, electrocatalyst activity remains a limitation restricting the energy conversion efficiency of water electrolysis systems. In this study, a three-dimensional hierarchical heterostructure electrocatalyst with vertically aligned NiFe layered double hydroxides (LDH) nanoflakes/Fe-NiSx nanoparticles supported on biomass-derived carbons was constructed. The experimental results proved that the catalyst has good activity and duralibity toward electrocatalytic hydrogen evolution in alkaline solutions. The electrode exhibits an electrocatalytic activity requiring an overpotential of 169 mV for delivering a current density of targeted 10 mA•cm-2 in HER; catalytic activity does not decay significantly within 15 h. Combined with the calculation results of density functional theory, the unique three-dimensional configuration of the catalyst, the high conductivity of the carbon microtube support, and the strong coupling effect at the interface between NiFe LDH and Fe-NiSx accelerates electron/ion transfer, further facilitating the reaction kinetics of hydrogen evolution.