Nanostructured Ni2N thin films magnetron-sputtered on nickel foam as efficient electrocatalyst for hydrogen evolution reaction

Nickel-based compounds have shown great potential as electrocatalyst for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). Here, Ni2N thin film composed of aligned nanorods with surface configuration of diamond-shaped bulges was fabricated on nickel foam by reactive magnetron sputtering. The Ni2N thin film electrode exhibited high electrocatalytic HER performance with a low overpotential of 159 mV at the current density of 10 mA cm−2 in 1 M KOH without iR-correction and was durable in 6 h of chronoamperometry test at an overpotential of 150 mV. This work provides a practical method to enhance the electrocatalytic activity of Ni-based cathode in alkaline water electrolysis.