(NiCo2)0.95Fe0.05-MoS2 hierarchical nanostructure: Synergistic electronic interaction engineering for superior alkaline oxygen evolution catalysis

Hydrogen generation via electrolysis of water has become a preferred route for clean H₂ production, combining process efficiency and environmental benignity. However, due to the high overpotential generated by the oxygen evolution reaction (OER), the energy conversion efficiency is seriously reduced during the electrolysis of water. (NiCo₂)_0.95Fe_0.05 nanoflowers loaded with MoS₂ nanosheets were synthesized via in-situ grown method denoted as (NiCo₂)_0.95Fe_0.05-MoS₂. (NiCo₂)_0.95Fe_0.05-MoS₂ electro catalyst only required an overpotential of 275 mV to achieve the current density of 10 mA·cm⁻² in alkaline solution, which were superior to commercial IrO₂ catalysts. The remarkably low Tafel slope of 20.58 mV·dec^-1 further indicated accelerated reaction kinetics, while the flower-like structure formed by the interconnected vertical nanosheets could provide abundant catalytic active sites. The robust electronic coupling interaction between (NiCo₂)_0.95Fe_0.05 nanoflowers architecture and MoS₂ nanosheets effectively modulated the surface electronic configuration of the hybrid catalyst. This synergistic engineering strategy not only improved charge transfer efficiency but also generated electrochemically active sites, ultimately leading to superior OER performance of the electro catalysts. This provided an idea for improving the OER electro catalyst performance of MoS₂ nanosheets in an alkaline environment.