Direct One-Step Growth of Bimetallic Ni(2)Mo(3)N on Ni Foam as an Efficient Oxygen Evolution Electrocatalyst

A simple and economical synthetic route for direct one-step growth of bimetallic Ni(2)Mo(3)N nanoparticles on Ni foam substrate (Ni(2)Mo(3)N/NF) and its catalytic performance during an oxygen evolution reaction (OER) are reported. The Ni(2)Mo(3)N/NF catalyst was obtained by annealing a mixture of a Mo precursor, Ni foam, and urea at 600 °C under N(2) flow using one-pot synthesis. Moreover, the Ni(2)Mo(3)N/NF exhibited high OER activity with low overpotential values (336.38 mV at 50 mA cm(−2) and 392.49 mV at 100 mA cm(−2)) and good stability for 5 h in Fe-purified alkaline electrolyte. The Ni(2)Mo(3)N nanoparticle surfaces converted into amorphous surface oxide species during the OER, which might be attributed to the OER activity.