Efficient water splitting catalyst: Low-temperature selenization of Co and Ni hydroxide nanosheets on carbon cloth for enhanced electro-catalytic activity

Abstract

The primary challenge in achieving full water splitting is the high cost of Pt/C-based materials and efficient electrocatalysts for both the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) and the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). In this investigation, Co and Ni based selinides as a bifunctional electrocatalyst was produced by using electrodeposition technique on carbon cloth (CC) as supportive material following low-temperature selenization, Co and Ni hydroxide nanosheets were transformed into CoNiSe-based carbon cloth, which performed superb electro-catalytic activity for water splitting. Due to the unique morphology and collaborative effect of CoSe-CC/NiSe-CC, the Tafel slope values for HER and OER are 64.2 and 59.2 mVdec−1. which is comparable to the standard 48.6 and 58.4 mVdec−1 values of RuO2 and Pt/C. Remarkably, cobalt and nickel-based CC exhibit exceptional stability and catalytic activity towards overall water splitting in the basic medium as compared to higher-priced catalysts such as RuO2 and Pt/C. This composite also requires 1.6 V to drive a current density of 10 mA cm−2 for overall Water splitting in an alkaline medium.