Reducing the Overpotential of Ti64-Based Electrode for Water Splitting by Carbon Insertion and Co_0.8Ni_0.2(CO₃)_0.5(OH)·0.11H₂O Deposition

In an era where clean energy and sustainability are prioritized, water electrolysis for hydrogen production has become a focus of research. Ti-6Al-4 V alloy (Ti64) may support the catalyst due to its high mechanical strength, electrical conductivity, and resistance to alkali corrosion. However, its poor catalyst adhesion limits its application. Herein, a carbon layer was deposited on Ti64 (Ti64/C), before depositing the Co0.8Ni0.2(CO3)0.5(OH)·0.11H2O (CNCH) nanoneedles. The porous Ti64-H/C/CNCH electrode performs exceptionally well in the oxygen evolution reaction, achieving a current of 10 mA cm–2 at an overpotential of 131 mV with 90% IR compensation. Furthermore, the cell achieves a density of 10 mA cm–2 at 1.83 V and slow degradation after 45 h of continuous operation under overall water-splitting conditions. This study presents a method of fabricating high-performance water electrolysis electrodes by coating the metal surface with a carbon layer under the catalysts.