Electrocatalytic hydrogen evolution performance of mesoporous Ni/NiO/carbon composites fabricated from carbon dots

Mesoporous Ni/NiO/carbon composites were successfully prepared from the tri-component self-assembly of carbon dots, nickel precursors and surfactant F127. The functional groups of carbon dots can chelate with the metal and then further assemble with the surfactant to prepare mesoporous metals/carbon materials (Ni-NC/MC), which are applied to the electrolysis of water to produce hydrogen. The results show that the interaction between Ni/NiO heterostructures is the active component of the catalyst. The carbon dots show a certain confinement effect, which hinders the further growth of metal particles. Moreover, large specific surface area and suitable Ni/NiO ratio are beneficial to the HER catalytic activity and operational stability of the catalyst.