Boron leaching: Creating vacancy-rich Ni for enhanced hydrogen evolution

Creating vacancy is often highly effective in enhancing the hydrogen evolution performance of transition metal-based catalysts. Vacancy-rich Ni nanosheets have been fabricated via topochemical formation two-dimentional (2D) Ni2B on graphene precursor followed by boron leaching. Anchored graphene, a few atomic layered are first obtained reduction and annealing. Large number vacancies then generated layer leaching atoms. When used for reaction (HER), vacancy-rich Ni/Ni(OH)2 heterostructure demonstrate remarkable with low overpotential 159 mV at current density 10 mA·cm−2 alkaline solution, dramatic improvement over 262 its precursor. This enhancement associated which introduce more active sites HER along heterointerfaces. work offers facile universal route to improve catalytic activity.