One-Pot High-Current-Density Electrodeposition of Ni–Ce and Ni–Fe–Ce Catalysts on Bamboo-Derived Carbon Fabric for Alkaline Water Splitting

Self-supported electrodes that combine high activity, durability, and low-cost manufacturing are essential for scalable alkaline water electrolysis. Here, we report a one-pot, high-current-density electrodeposition platform that grows Ni-rich bimetallic catalysts directly on a carbon fabric derived from a mass-produced bamboo-cellulose kitchen wipe (bamboo-derived carbon fabric, BCF). Using a single NiCl2/NH4Cl base bath containing 5 mM of a selectable secondary metal ion (Ce, Fe, W, or Mo), galvanostatic deposition at 1 A cm−2 for 15 min produces conformal polycrystalline catalyst shells on the individual carbon fibers. The Ce-containing cathode (BCF@NiCe) delivers hydrogen evolution overpotentials of 96.8 mV at 20 mA cm−2 and 222 mV at 1 A cm−2, rivaling a Pt/C benchmark on the same substrate at industrially relevant current densities, which is attributed to the cooperative interface between metallic Ni and nanocrystalline, oxygen-vacancy-rich CeO2−x together with a superhydrophilic fibrous architecture that releases fine H2 microbubbles. Adding Fe to the same bath yields a Ni–Fe–Ce anode (BCF@NiFeCe) that outperforms a RuO2 benchmark for oxygen evolution above 0.1 A cm−2 (η = 312 mV at 0.1 A cm−2) with a Tafel slope of 60 mV dec−1. Both electrodes operate stably for 200 h of continuous electrolysis, with the Ni/CeO2−x nanostructure, the oxygen-vacancy population, and the surface chemical states fully preserved after the test, and the same protocol extends to Ni–W and Ni–Mo on nickel foam, establishing a versatile, low-cost route to high-current-density electrodes for green hydrogen production.