Iron–nickel
sulfide ((Ni,Fe)3S2) is
one of the most promising bifunctional electrocatalysts for both the
hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER)
in alkaline media because of their metallic conductivity and low cost.
However, the reported HER activity of (Ni,Fe)3S2 is still unsatisfactory. Herein, three-dimensional self-supported
phosphorus-doped (Ni,Fe)3S2 nanosheet arrays
on Ni foam (P-(Ni,Fe)3S2/NF) are synthesized
by a simple one-step simultaneous phosphorization and sulfuration
route, which exhibits dramatically enhanced HER activity as well as
drives remarkable OER activity. The incorporation of P significantly
optimized the hydrogen/water absorption free energy (ΔGH*/ΔGH2O*), enhanced electrical conductivity, and increased electrochemical
surface area. Accordingly, the optimal P-(Ni,Fe)3S2/NF exhibits relatively low overpotentials of 98 and 196 mV
at 10 mA cm–2 for HER and OER in 1 M KOH, respectively.
Furthermore, an alkaline electrolyzer comprising the P-(Ni,Fe)3S2/NF electrodes needs a very low cell voltage
of 1.54 V at 10 mA cm–2 and exhibits long-term stability
and outperforms most other state-of-the-art electrocatalysts. The
reported electrocatalyst activation approach by anion doping can be
adapted for other transition-metal chalcogenides for water electrolysis,
offering great promise for future applications.