Nickel nanoparticles oriented on carbon materials as an efficient electrocatalyst for the hydrogen evolution reaction

The fabrication of highly efficient and stable non-noble metal hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) electrocatalysts is of paramount significance for alleviating the energy and environmental crises. Herein, nickel (Ni) nanoparticles anchored on a carbon layer dispersed on carbon materials (Ni/C) are synthesized via a facile one-step thermal treatment. The nanostructure can facilitate mass transfer, expose more active sites and promote hydrogen (H2) gas release. Benefiting from these advantages, Ni/C-0.8 exhibits excellent electrocatalytic HER performance. The overpotential of Ni/C-0.8 is −132 mV at −10 mA cm−2, and its Tafel slope is 117 mV dec−1 in an alkaline solution. Additionally, Ni/C-0.8 exhibits remarkable stability during long-term testing. This work offers a new avenue for designing and fabricating non-noble metal electrocatalysts for the electrocatalytic HER.