Flower-like CuCoMoOx nanosheets decorated with CoCu nanoparticles as bifunctional electrocatalysts for hydrogen evolution reaction and water splitting

The development of high efficiency, low-budget and excellent stability of electrocatalysts is a critical factor to improve water decomposition. Herein, a highly active 3D bulk catalysts of core-shell nanostructures, in which Flower-like CuCoMoOx nanosheets embellished with CoCu alloy nanoparticles are evenly wrapped on Cu NWs cores supported on CF, toward overall water splitting is firstly reported. The coaction of CoCu alloy nanoparticles and CuCoMoOx nanosheets with 3D hierarchical and porous nanoarchitecture can accelerate the ionization of H2O molecules and formation of H2. Meanwhile, the connection nanosheets of Cu NWs with noteworthy conductivity, resulting in rapid electron transport, exhibits outstanding both HER and OER activities and remarkable overall water splitting characteristics in the alkaline medium. As an electrocatalyst for HER and OER, the low overpotential of 75 mV and 315 mV at 100 mA cm−2, and low voltage of 1.66 V for overall water splitting are achieved, even superior to the benchmark of IrO2/CF (+) // /Pt/C/CF(-) in 1 M KOH. This work has a significant reference to hydrogen production for the electrolytic water industry.