In situ growth of highly wrinkled 3D volcano-like Fe3S4/Ni3S2/WO3/NiFe LDH/NF electrocatalyst for overall water splitting

The rational design of efficient, cost-effective, and durable electrocatalysts is crucial for the realization of hydrogen production through water splitting. The present study describes the synthesis of a novel three-dimensional (3D) volcano-like Fe 3 S 4 /Ni 3 S 2 /WO 3 /NiFe LDH/NF (Layered Double Hydroxides/Nickel Foam) electrocatalyst with a highly wrinkled structure through a two-step hydrothermal method. The as-synthesized electrocatalyst exhibits an exceptionally low overpotential of 77 mV for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and 131 mV for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) at a current density of 10 mA cm −2 , owing to the unique morphology and strong electronic interactions between Fe 3 S 4 , Ni 3 S 2 and WO 3 heterostructures. The Fe 3 S 4 /Ni 3 S 2 /WO 3 /NiFe LDH/NF electrocatalyst demonstrates exceptional performance in overall water splitting when employed as both anode and cathode, achieving a current density of 10 mA cm −2 at an impressively low cell voltage of 1.5 V as well as exhibiting remarkable durability with little degradation over a period of 12 hours. This study presents a straightforward approach for the synthesis of highly efficient and durable non-noble metal catalysts for overall water splitting under hydrothermal conditions.