Phosphorus doping and phosphates coating for nickel molybdate/nickel molybdate hydrate enabling efficient overall water splitting.

Earth-abundant transition metal-based bifunctional electrocatalysts are promising alternatives to noble metals for overall water electrolysis, but restricted by low activity and durability. Herein, a three-dimensional phosphorus-doped nickel molybdate/nickel molybdate hydrate @phosphates core-shell nanorod clusters on nickel foam self-supported electrode was fabricated by a combined hydrothermal and phosphating process. The phosphorus doping and phosphate coating induced by phosphating process bring in a synergistic effect to improve the electrical conductivity, provide abundant active surface sites and accelerate the surface reaction for nickel molybdate/nickel molybdate hydrate (NiMoO/NiMoO·nHO) heterostructures.