Photoelectrochemical hydrogen production technology holds
promise
for directly and swiftly generating green hydrogen, which is pivotal
for human welfare; however, it faces challenges posed by the energetically
sluggish oxygen evolution reaction (OER). Cobalt-based nitrides are
considered excellent photoelectrochemically active in the OER (PEOER)
catalysts, and their conductivity and photoconversion efficiency remain
relatively low. This paper presents the fabrication of Ni-alloyed
Co4N nanowire arrays on carbon cloth ((Co1–x
Ni
x
)4N NWAs/CC)
as PEOER catalysts. By analyzing advanced in situ Raman and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) results, we discovered
that Ni not only enhances the conductivity of the catalyst but, more
importantly, also creates more photoexcited Co2+ OER centers
and favors its reconstruction to CoOOH to charge PEOER. Furthermore,
nitrogen plays a critical role in transforming pyridinic nitrogen
into other forms of nitrogen to stabilize the catalyst’s structure.
These advantages endow (Co0.74Ni0.26)4N NWAs/CC with remarkable PEOER enhancement (988%), which drives
the standard current density of 10 mA cm–2 with
only a 283 mV overpotential along with good durability. This research
provides insights into the PEOER mechanisms of cobalt-based transition
metal nitrides, providing a way for designing next-generation PEOER
catalysts.