Cr-doped Ni-Cu/Ni(OH)2 coating supported on nickel foam for efficient hydrogen evolution

Herein, a Cr-doped Ni-Cu/(NiOH) 2 coating supported on nickel foam (Ni-Cu-Cr/NF) was fabricated via a facile one-step electrodeposition strategy and employed as an efficient electrocatalyst for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) in alkaline media. In 1 M NaOH, Ni–Cu–Cr/NF requires an overpotential of 30 mV to reach a current density of − 10 mA cm⁻ 2 and exhibits a Tafel slope of 55 mV dec⁻ 1 . These electrochemical results are associated with the combined effects of the multicomponent composition and an increased electrochemically active surface area (ECSA). The ECSA of Ni–Cu–Cr/NF is approximately 23.6 times that of Ni–Cu/NF. In addition, the catalyst maintains stable operation for 60 h during continuous electrolysis. This work presents a simple preparation method for the novel Ni-Cu-Cr/NF catalyst and systematically investigates the impact of Cr doping on enhancing catalytic performance, providing an effective strategy for the development of nickel-based alloy electrocatalysts. Graphical