In-situ growth of hierarchical trifunctional Co4S3/Ni3S2@MoS2 core-shell nanosheet array on nickel foam for overall water splitting and supercapacitor

• Published in: International journal of hydrogen energy Vol. 48; no. 2; pp. 648 - 661
• Main Authors: Qu, Chunhong, Cao, Jian, Chen, Yanli, Wei, Maobin, Fan, Hougang, Liu, Xiaoyan, Li, Xin, Wu, Qiong, Feng, Bo, Yang, Lili
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier Ltd 05.01.2023
• Subjects: Co4S3/Ni3S2; Core-shell; MoS2; Nanosheet array; Overall water splitting; Supercapacitor; Co4S3/Ni3S2; Supercapacitor; Overall water splitting; MoS2; Core-shell; Nanosheet array
• ISSN: 0360-3199; 1879-3487
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ijhydene.2022.09.278

It is an enormous challenge to construct the cheap and effective multifunctional electrocatalysts for energy storage and conversion applications. Herein, a ZIF-67 derived Co4S3/Ni3S2@MoS2 core-shell nanosheet arrays were successfully developed on nickel foam via a simple two-step hydrothermal vulcanization method for electrocatalytic water splitting and supercapacitors. For overall water splitting, CNM 0.5 required the overpotentials of 96 and 269 mV at 10 mA cm−2 and 100 mA cm−2 for HER and OER in 1 M KOH. The dual-electrode electrolytic cell assembled from CNM 0.5 required only 1.447 V at 10 mA cm−2, and had nearly 100% Faraday efficiency and long-term stability (40 h). When used as the electrode for supercapacitors, CNM 0.5 had a large specific capacitance of 1238 F g−1 at 1 A g−1 current density and exceptional durability (85% retention after 2000 cycles). The ASC device assembled with CNM 0.5 provided the high-energy density of 41.2 W h kg−1 and long cycle-life (87% after 2000 cycles). The unique core-shell morphology with abundant active reactive edge sites would be beneficial for charge reduction and the volume shrinking/swelling during the rapid charge/discharge process. The well-ordered and vertically aligned nanosheet arrays possessed good conductivity and small interface resistance, which would facilitate the electron transfer and electrolyte penetration, ion insertion and de-intercalation. •The Co4S3/Ni3S2@MoS2 core-shell nanosheet array were fabricated on NF through two-step hydrothermal method.•CNM 0.5 showed excellent HER and OER activities with overpotentials of 96 and 269 mV at 10 and 100 mA cm−2.•The dual-electrode electrolytic cell assembled from CNM 0.5 required 1.447 V at 10 mA cm−2.•CNM 0.5 electrode exhibits the capacitance of 1238 F g−1 at 1 A g−1.•The ASC device provides the specific capacitance of 189.6 F g−1, the energy density of 41.2 W h kg−1 at 737.9 W kg−1.