A tailored interface engineering strategy designed to enhance the electrocatalytic activity of NiFe2O4/NiTe heterogeneous structure for advanced energy conversion applications

Designing nanohybrids with high-quality catalytic sites and optimized electronic structures is promising for advanced photovoltaic and water splitting applications. However, a rational construction of nanohybrid electrocatalysts with optimal structures to maximize electrocatalytic activity remains a challenge. Herein, interface engineering tactic is employed to design biphasic robust spinel-structured NiFe2O4/hexagonal NiTe heterogeneous structure nanohybrid electrocatalysts with tunable electronic configuration and abundant catalytic sites. Spectroscopic characterization unveiled that the tailored electronic configuration behaviors are generated by strong electronic interactions at the biphasic interface, which activate electron transfer from Fe3+ to Ni2+ and/or Te2−, resulting in emerging plentiful catalytic sites available for triiodide ion/hydrogen ion adsorption. Profiting from extraordinary electronic configuration and synergistic effect of spinel-structured NiFe2O4 and hexagonal NiTe, the NiFe2O4/NiTe shows enhanced electrocatalytic activity and electrochemical stability. A solar cell assembled with NiFe2O4/NiTe delivers an impressive power conversion efficiency of 8.15%, whereas it affords a preferable overpotential of 148.8 mV at 10 mA cm−2, as well as a smaller Tafel slope of 73.67 mV dec−1 in basic medium. This interesting work emphasizes the great significance of tuning the electronic configuration and catalytic sites activity of transition metal chalcogenides-based heterogeneous structures nanohybrid to strengthen their electrocatalytic activity for triiodide reduction and hydrogen evolution reactions.