Fabrication of Ni-Mo-based Electrocatalysts by Modified Z Phosphating for Hydrogen Evolution Reaction

The preparation of low-cost, simple, and scalable electrodes is crucial for the commercialization of water electrolyzers for H-2 production. Herein, we demonstrate the fabrication of cathodes through Mo-modified Zn phosphating of Ni foam (NiF) for water electrolysis, which has been largely utilized in surface coating industry. In situ growth of electrocatalytically active layers in the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) was occurred after 1 min of phosphating to form ZnNiMoPi, and subsequent thermal treatment and electrochemical activation resulted in the formation of ZnNiMoPOxHy. ZnNiMoPOxHy exhibited superior HER performance than NiF, primarily because of the increased electrochemically active surface area of ZnNiMoPOxHy. compared to that of bare NiF. Although further investigations to improve the intrinsic electrochemical activity toward the HER and detailed mechanistic studies are required, these results suggest that phosphating is a promising coating method and will possibly advance the fabrication procedure of electrodes for water electrolyzers with better practical applications.