Ni-nanoclusters hybridized 1T–Mn–VTe2 mesoporous nanosheets for ultra-low potential water splitting

Metallic (1T) transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDCs) shows great potential for electrocatalytical water−splitting (ECWS). Among different 1T−TMDCs, vanadium (V)−based 1T−TMDCs has highest thermodynamic stability. Now, among different V−based 1T−TMDCs, 1T−VTe2 holds the best potential for ECWS due to strongest interlayer coupling between V and Te. In the present study, we have developed nickel nanoclusters (NiNCs) hybridized and manganese (Mn) intercalated and doped 1T−VTe2 nanosheets (NiNCs-1T-Mn-VTe2 NS) for ultra−low potential ECWS. Mn doping and intercalation in 1T−VTe2 (1T−Mn−VTe2) significantly improve ECWS efficacy following improving oxygen evolution reaction (OER) and hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) performances. Hybridization of NiNCs with1T−Mn−VTe2 develop a true ECWS−catalyst NiNCs-1T-Mn-VTe2 NS for ultra−low potential water−splitting. NiNCs−1T−Mn−VTe2 NS showed excellent performance requiring only HER−overpotential of 61 mV to reach 10 mA cm−2 and OER overpotential of 258 mV to reach 40 mA cm−2. NiNCs−1T−Mn−VTe2NS (+ −) device required a cell potential of 1.51 V to reach 10 mA cm−2.