Herein, the hydrothermal synthesis of porous ultrathin ternary NiFeV layer double hydroxides (LDHs) nanosheets grown on Nickel foam (NF) substrate as a highly efficient electrode toward overall water splitting in alkaline media is reported. The lateral size of the nanosheets is about a few hundreds of nanometers with the thickness of ≈10 nm. Among all molar ratios investigated, the Ni Fe V -LDHs/NF electrode depicts the optimized performance. It displays an excellent catalytic activity with a modest overpotential of 231 mV for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) and 125 mV for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) in 1.0 m KOH electrolyte. Its exceptional activity is further shown in its small Tafel slope of 39.4 and 62.0 mV dec for OER and HER, respectively. More importantly, remarkable durability and stability are also observed. When used for overall water splitting, the Ni Fe V -LDHs/NF electrodes require a voltage of only 1.591 V to reach 10 mA cm in alkaline solution. These outstanding performances are mainly attributed to the synergistic effect of the ternary metal system that boosts the intrinsic catalytic activity and active surface area. This work explores a promising way to achieve the optimal inexpensive Ni-based hydroxide electrocatalyst for overall water splitting.

The construction of two-dimensional (2D) ultrathin nanosheets is considered as a promising strategy for enhancing electrochemical performance, owing to their large surface area and fast electron transport. In this study, ultrathin few-layer NiPS nanosheets are obtained and systematically investigated by high-yield liquid phase exfoliation from their bulk layered crystals, and are exploited as anodes for lithium ion batteries (LIBs) and electrocatalysts for oxygen evolution reaction (OER). When evaluated as an anode for LIBs, NiPS nanosheets show excellent electrochemical properties in terms of stable cycling performance and rate capabilities. A stable reversible capacity of 796.2 mA h g is delivered after the 150 cycle at a current density of 100 mA g. As for the OER, the exfoliated few-layer NiPS nanosheets have demonstrated excellent electrocatalytic performance, such as a low overpotential of 301 mV at a current density of 10 mA cm, a small Tafel slope of 43 mV dec, and an outstanding long-term durability. This work is expected to make a contribution to develop next generation high-performance electrochemically active materials for catalysts and batteries.

The ORCID identification number(s) for the author(s) of this article can be found under https://doi.org/10.1002/aenm.201901503. Oxygen EvolutionElectrochemical energy conversion and storage devices including metal-air batteries, regenerative fuel cells, and watersplitting cells are critical to satisfy the future energy demand of human society. Oxygen evolution reaction (OER) is the key reaction in these technologies and accounts for the major performance loss due to its sluggish kinetics. Precious metal-based catalysts are used predominantly, but the scarcity and low stability limit their application at large scale. [1] As a consequence, intensive efforts have been devoted to developing cost-effective catalysts with superior oxygen-evolving activity and stability. [2] Earth-abundant metal chalcogens, pnictogens, and metalloids have emerged as potential materials for water oxidation in

Metal borides represent an emerging family of advanced electrocatalyst for oxygen evolution reaction (OER). Herein, we present a fast and simple method of synthesizing iron-doped amorphous nickel boride on reduced graphene oxide (rGO) sheets. The hybrid exhibits outstanding OER performance and stability in prolonged OER operation. In 1.0 M KOH, only 230 mV is required to afford a current density of 15 mA cm −2 with a small Tafel slope of 50 mV dec −1 . DFT calculations lead to a suggestion that the in situ formation of MO x H y during electrochemical activation acts as active sites for water oxidation. The superior OER activity of the as-prepared catalyst is attributed to (i) its unique amorphous structure to allow abundant active sites, (ii) synergistic effect of constituents, and (iii) strong coupling of active material and highly conductive rGO. This work not only provides new perspectives to design a highly effective material for OER but also opens a promising avenue to tailor the electrochemical properties of metal borides, which could be extended to other materials for energy storage and conversion technologies.

Due to the rapidly increasing demand for energy and environmental sustainability, stable and economical hydrogen production has received increasing attention in the past decades. In this regard, hydrogen production through photo- or electrocatalytic water splitting has continued to gain ever-growing interest. However, the existing catalysts are still unable to fulfill the demands of high-efficiency, low-cost, and sustainable hydrogen production. Layered metal trichalcogenidophosphate (MPQ3) is a newly developed two-dimensional material with tunable composition and electronic structure. Recently, MPQ3 has been considered a promising candidate for clean energy generation and related water splitting applications. In this minireview, we firstly introduce the structure and methods for the synthesis of MPQ3 materials. In the following sections, recent developments of MPQ3 materials for photo- and electrocatalytic water splitting are briefly summarized. The roles of MPQ3 materials in different reaction systems are also discussed. Finally, the challenges related to and prospects of MPQ3 materials are presented on the basis of the current developments.