Abstract
Trimetallic selenides as bifunctional electrocatalysts for oxygen evolution reaction (OER) and urea oxidation reaction (UOR) have rarely been reported. Herein, we successfully synthesized nickel-iron-cobalt diselenides on the nickel foam (NiFeCoSe2) by a one-step electrodeposition method. The as-prepared NiFeCoSe2 nanosheets on nickel foam (NF) exhibited significantly improved electrocatalytic performance and stability in a highly alkaline medium (1 M KOH) with and without 0.33 M urea. In particular, the obtained NiFeCoSe2 only requires a potential of 1.52 V (vs. RHE) for OER and 1.37 V (vs. RHE) for UOR to achieve a current density of 50 mA cm−2, along with a stability of 30 h. This was attributed to the unique interconnected nanosheets, binder-free in-situ selenium electrodeposition, synergistic effect, and strong electron interaction of Ni, Fe, Co, and Se elements. This study provides a new avenue for the construction of multimetal selenide electrocatalysts with excellent properties for the oxidation of water and urea.
[Display omitted]
•NiFeCoSe2 electrocatalyst fabricated by a facile one-step electrodeposition method.•NiFeCoSe2 exhibit enhanced electrocatalytic activities for OER (1.52 V at 50 mA cm−2) and UOR (1.37 V at 50 mA cm−2).•NiFeCoSe2 showed high durability under 30 h of continuous gas evolution.