Synthesis of Nickel Nitride-Based 1D/0D Heterostructure via a Morphology-Inherited Nitridation Strategy for Efficient Electrocatalytic Hydrogen Evolution.

The fabrication of heterostructures has inspired extensive interest in promoting the performance of solar cells or solar fuel production, but it is still challenging for nitrides to prepare structurally ordered heterostructures. Herein, one nickel nitride-based heterostructure composed of 1D Ni Mo N nanorods and 0D Ni N nanoparticles (denoted as NiMoN/NiN) is reported to exhibit significantly promoted hydrogen evolution reaction performance in both alkaline and neutral media. In particular, the optimal overpotential of the NiMoN/NiN sample at 10 mA cm in 1 m KOH is 49 mV. The successful fabrication of 1D/0D heterostructures is mainly ascribed to morphology-inherited nitridation of 1D oxide precursor (denoted as NiMoO-NRs) in situ grown on Ni foam surface, and attributed to strong Lewis acid-base interaction that renders the Ni ions emitted from the oxide precursor to well coordinate with NH for the formation of Ni N nanoparticles during the nitridation process. It is theoretically and experimentally demonstrated that the special 1D/0D heterostructure provides tandem active phases Ni Mo N and Ni N for synergistic promotion in lowering the activation energy of H O dissociation and optimizing the adsorption energy of H, respectively. This work may open a new avenue for developing highly active tandem electrocatalysts for promising renewable energy conversion.