Co (1 1 1) loaded on amorphous Co(OH)₂ − derived porous Ni with maximized Co (1 1 1) utilization for hydrogen evolution reaction

The development of hydrogen energy can help reduce dependence on fossil fuels and achieve low carbon emissions. Hydrogen production from electrolysis water is one of the clean technologies. The preparation of inexpensive and efficient electrodes is the key to improving the efficiency of hydrogen production from water electrolysis. The aim of this study is to design a catalyst with a structure of amorphous Co(OH)₂ modified Co (1 1 1) using cobalt-containing waste, to improve the efficiency of water electrolysis for hydrogen production. During the electrode preparation process, the reduction order and reduction efficiency of Co²⁺ and H₂O in the cobalt-containing waste leachate were controlled to regulate the growth of crystals and amorphous. According to the electrocatalytic performance test, the prepared electrode under conditions of 30 min, 0.10 M CoSO₄, 12.5 mA/cm² has excellent activity, with an overpotential of only −56 mV at a current density of −10 mA/cm² and a Tafel slope of 78.6 mV/dec. In this work, cobalt-containing waste used as the raw material for production of electrode can not only reduce the cost, but also reduce the harm to the environment. Therefore, this study provides an environmentally friendly and economical method for the preparation of a high-performance and low-cost catalytic electrode for hydrogen evolution reaction.