Triple Regulation of Superhydrophilic–Superaerophobic Mo,V‐NiS/Ni <sub>3</sub> S <sub>2</sub> Heteronanoflowers for Efficient Bifunctional Water Splitting and Multi‐Source Energy‐Driven Hydrogen Production
The urgent demand for sustainable energy has highlighted electrocatalytic water splitting as a key carbon-neutral technology. However, nickel sulfide-based catalysts face challenges of limited intrinsic activity and inefficient gas bubble release. Herein, a triple-engineering strategy constructs a hierarchical Mo, V-co-doped NiS/Ni<sub>3</sub>S<sub>2</sub> heteronanoflower electrode in situ on nickel foam (NF) via a one-step hydrothermal synthesis. The synergistic effects of dual-atom doping and phase-separated heterointerfaces not only optimize electronic structure but also confer superhydrophilic and superaerophobic surface properties, significantly enhancing both hydrogen evolution reaction (HER; 55 mV@10 mA cm<sup>-2</sup>) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER; 185 mV@10 mA cm<sup>-2</sup>) kinetics. The resulting electrocatalyst drives overall water splitting at a low cell voltage of 1.48 V. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations elucidate that Mo/V doping induces strong Ni 3d-Mo/V 3d orbital hybridization, shifting down the d-band center and optimizing the adsorption free energies of H<sup>*</sup> and OOH<sup>*</sup> intermediates. Furthermore, experimental demonstrations confirm the feasibility of water electrolysis driven by mechanical, wind, and solar energies, introducing a novel mechanical-to-hydrogen energy conversion system using triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs). This work integrates band structure modulation, interfacial engineering, and wettability regulation, advancing the design of bifunctional electrocatalysts for sustainable energy conversion.
Authors
- Jinmei He
- Mengnan Qu (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0684-4162)
- Cai‐Li Sun (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0778-2004)
- Xuedan Zhu
- Leihuan Mu
- Pu Feng
- Jiehui Li
- Hui Liu (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9180-0198)
- Qinghua Liu (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4090-3311)
- Yuqing Wang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0029-8076)
Institutions
- Xi'an University of Science and Technology (CN)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Small Methods
- Published
- 2025-08-15
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1002/smtd.202501181
- Citations
- 5
- Primary Topic
- Electrocatalysts for Energy Conversion
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 1.82
Funders
- National Natural Science Foundation of China
- Shaanxi Provincial Science and Technology Department