Self-templated synthesis of Ni3S2@NiCoN with core-shell structure for effective hydrogen evolution reaction

The preparation of low-cost and high-activated catalysts is an important challenge in the development of hydrogen production industry. Here we reported a novel core-shell triangular cone electrocatalyst Ni 3 S 2 @Ni 3 N@Co 2 N 0.67 grown on nickel foam (Ni 3 S 2 @NiCoN/NF) obtained by a self-templated method. The obtained Ni 3 S 2 @NiCoN/NF consists of Ni 3 S 2 triangular cone core and Ni 3 N@Co 2 N 0.67 particles shell, which has rich heterogeneous interface and synergistic effect. The strong electronic interaction at the newly bonded heterojunction regulates the electronic structure of active Ni, which is conducive to the transfer of charge to the active site. In addition, NiCoN particles are coated on the surface of Ni 3 S 2 triangular pyramidal nucleus to form a core-shell structure, which can make sure the exposure of active sites. It is found that the self-templated conversion of Co(OH) 2 coated Ni 3 S 2 into NiCoN/Ni 3 S 2 enhances the activity for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). The hybrid material has excellent HER catalytic performance under alkaline conditions, which only needs to overcome the overpotential of 63 and 174 mV to reach the current density of 10 and 100 mA cm −2 , respectively. This study provides a new idea for the preparation of efficient and stable catalysts with core-shell structure for HER.