Microwave-assisted molybdenum-nickel alloy for efficient water electrolysis under large current density through spillover and Fe doping

The development of high-efficiency electrocatalysts for overall water splitting under large current density is significant and challenging.Herein,a high-performing Fe-doped MoNi alloy catalyst(M-H-MoNiFe-50)abundant with flower-like nanorods assemblies has been prepared by high-pressure microwave reaction and hydrogen reduction.Firstly,Fe doped NiMoO_(4) precursor(M-MoNiFe-50)was synthesized by microwave fast heating,ensuring the robustness of nanorods,which owns larger area and improved catalytic activity than that by conventional hydrothermal method.Secondly,M-MoNiFe-50 was reduced in H_(2)/Ar to fabricate Fe-incorporated MoNi_(4) alloys(M-H-MoNiFe-50),greatly enhancing the conductivity and facilitating hydrogen/oxygen spillover.The final M-H-MoNiFe-50 exhibits remarkable activity for alkaline/acidic hydrogen evolution reaction and oxygen evolution reaction with low overpotential of 208(alkaline),254(acid)and 347 mV at 1,000 mA·cm^(−2).Moreover,an alkaline water electrolyzer is established using M-H-MoNiFe-50 as anode and cathode,generating a current density of 100 mA·cm^(−2) at 1.58 V with encouraging durability of 50 h at 1,000 mA·cm^(−2).The extraordinary water splitting performance can be chalked up to the large surface area,favorable charge transfer,modified electron distribution,intrinsic robustness as well as an efficient gas spillover of M-H-MoNiFe-50.The final electrocatalyst has great prospects for practical application and confirms the significance of Fe doping,microwave method and spillover effect for catalytic performance improvement.