Boosted Electrochemical Hydrogen Evolution Activity via the Core-Shell Heterostructure of Nickel Sulfide Nanoframe-Supported Layered Rhenium Disulfide.

The strategic design of a heterostructure catalyst with a core-shell nanoarchitecture is imperative for enhancing the efficiency of the electrocatalytic hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). Herein, the core-shell catalyst comprising the rhenium disulfide nanosheets was vertically integrated onto a hollow nickel sulfide (NiS@ReS) via coprecipitation and hydrothermal treatment. The morphology involves the sulfurization of a nickel-based Prussian blue analogue, effectively mitigating the aggregation of ReS nanosheets and maximizing the exposed active sites. By the synergistic effect of morphological design and heterostructure formation, the overpotential of NiS@ReS is 136 mV at 10 mA cm in an alkaline electrolyte, and the rapid kinetics is confirmed by the small Tafel slope and low charge transfer resistance during the HER process. Moreover, the electrocatalytic durability of NiS@ReS is elucidated, and the boosted catalytic activity of NiS@ReS is confirmed by density functional theory. This study unveils a promising method for advancing ReS-based electrocatalysts with potential implications for producing hydrogen.