Multifunctional Electrocatalysis on a Porous N-Doped NiCo2O4@C Nanonetwork

Developing a multifunctional electrocatalyst with eminent activity, strong durability, and cheapness for the hydrogen/oxygen evolution reaction (HER/OER) and oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) is critical to overall water splitting and regenerative fuel cells. Herein, a nitrogen-doped nanonetwork assembled by porous and defective NiCo 2 O 4 @C nanowires grown on nickel foam (N-NiCo 2 O 4 @C@NF) is crafted via biomimetic mineralization and following carbonization of phase-transited lysozyme (PTL)-coupled NiCo 2 O 4 . The as-obtained N-NiCo 2 O 4 @C@NF electrocatalysts exhibit an exceptional catalytic activity with ultralow overpotentials for the HER (42 mV) and OER (242 mV) to afford 10 mA cm –2 while maintaining good stability in alkaline media. Meanwhile, the N-NiCo2O4@C electrocatalysts presents a superior catalytic activity for ORR and a favorable four-electron pathway. The unprecedented catalytic performance arises from a highly porous structure and abundant defects and synergistic effects of components. This work may offer a new possibility in the exploration of multifunctional electrocatalysts for various energy-related electrocatalytic reactions.