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Highly dispersed NiMo@rGO nanocomposite catalysts fabricated by a two-step hydrothermal method for hydrogen evolution

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Abstract

Exploring and designing a high-performance non-noble metal catalyst for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) are crucial for the large-scale application of H2 by water electrolysis. Here, novel catalysts with NiMo nanoparticles decorated on reduced graphene oxide (NiMo@rGO) synthesized by a two-step hydrothermal method were reported. Physical characterization results showed that the prepared NiMo@rGO-1 had an irregular lamellar structure, and the NiMo nanoparticles were uniformly dispersed on the rGO. NiMo@rGO-1 exhibited outstanding HER performance in an alkaline environment and required only 93 and 180 mV overpotential for HER in 1.0 M KOH solution to obtain current densities of −10 and −50 mA·cm−2, respectively. Stability tests showed that NiMo@rGO-1 had a certain operating stability for 32 h. Under the same condition, the performance of NiMo@rGO-1 can be comparable with that of commercial Pt/C catalysts at high current density. The synergistic effect between NiMo particles and lamellate graphene can remarkably promote charge transfer in electrocatalytic reactions. As a result, NiMo@rGO-1 presented the advantages of high intrinsic activity, large specific surface area, and small electrical impedance. The lamellar graphene played a role in dispersion to prevent the aggregation of nanoparticles. The prepared NiMo@rGO-1 can be used in an-ion exchange membrane water electrolysis to produce hydrogen. This study provides a simple preparation method for efficient and low-cost water electrolysis to produce hydrogen in the future.

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Acknowledgement

This research was financially supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 22278125).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Energy Power and Mechanical Engineering, North China Electric Power University, Beijing, 102206, China

    Duanhao Cao, Xiaofeng Ma, Yipeng Zhang, La Ta, Yakun Yang, Chao Xu, Feng Ye & Jianguo Liu

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  1. Duanhao Cao
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  2. Xiaofeng Ma
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Correspondence to Chao Xu.

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Cao, D., Ma, X., Zhang, Y. et al. Highly dispersed NiMo@rGO nanocomposite catalysts fabricated by a two-step hydrothermal method for hydrogen evolution. Int J Miner Metall Mater 30, 2432–2440 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12613-023-2677-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12613-023-2677-7

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