One-pot synthesis of edge-rich Ni3S2/MoS2 heterojunction for superior overall water splitting

Abstract

Bifunctional electrocatalysts with outstanding catalytic capability toward both the Oxygen Evolution Reaction (OER) and Hydrogen Evolution Reaction (HER) have become a prevailing research hotspot in water electrolysis for hydrogen generation. Herein, Ni 3 S 2 /MoS 2 heterojunctions with high-active edge sites were successfully synthesized via a one-pot method using thiobarbituric acid (TBA) as the sulfur source. The catalyst possesses a 3D vertical porous architecture that maximizes accessible active sites, delivering 10 mA cm −2 at overpotentials of 258 mV (OER) and 79 mV (HER). Furthermore, an electrolyzer assembled with this electrocatalyst requires only 1.57 V upon attaining 10 mA cm −2 current density and can operate stably for over 100 h, demonstrating the excellent overall water splitting catalytic performance and good stability. This work reports an innovative low-temperature strategy for fabricating metal sulfide heterostructures enriched with edge-active sites toward high-efficiency overall water splitting.