来源：ACS Publications
Water electrolysis has emerged as a promising pathway for sustainable energy production, highlighting the need for innovative nonprecious bimetallic nanocatalysts to enhance overall reaction efficiency and kinetics. In this study, we report the synthesis and bifunctional electrocatalytic performance of nanoscale nickel lanthanum telluride nanofibers (NiLaTe NFs) for both the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and the oxygen evolution reaction (OER). These nanostructured fibers were fabricated via a simple oven-based wet chemical route, enabling binder-free in situ growth on Ni foam. Structural analysis revealed a uniform one-dimensional (1D) nanoscale architecture composed of mixed-phase NiTe (hexagonal) and La2Te3 (cubic), with homogeneous nanoscale dispersion of Ni, La, and Te elements. Additionally, the influence of Ni and La precursor ratios on the resulting structural characteristics was systematically investigated by using FESEM. The contribution of elemental Te was also examined to elucidate its impact on the development of the nanofibril morphology. The nanostructured NiLaTe NFs outperformed their monometallic counterparts (NiTe and La2Te3) and even benchmark RuO2, exhibiting low overpotentials of 186 mV for HER and 332 mV for OER, demonstrating efficient performance for overall water splitting. The enhanced electrocatalytic activity is attributed to nanoscale electronic coupling between Ni, La, and Te, which facilitates rapid charge transfer and active site exposure in its bimetallic system as compared with its monometallic counterparts. Moreover, the 1D nanomorphology enhances the surface area and conductivity, further boosting catalytic performance. This work amplifies the critical role of nanoscale engineering in developing high-efficiency, nonprecious bifunctional electrocatalysts for overall water splitting.
Moreover, in comparison to their monometallic analogs NiTe and La2Te3, the bimetallic NiLaTe NFs showed better catalytic performance. The prepared NiLaTe bimetallic catalyst showed overpotential values of 332 and 186 mV, respectively, for the OER and HER. In addition, the NiLaTe bimetallic nanocomposite catalyst displayed an overall stability of up to 24 h for both the OER (Δη = 49 mV) and HER (Δη = 25 mV). Hence, from this work, we have strategically established the foundation for the scalability of the cost-effective oven-based wet chemical synthesis and enhancement of electrocatalytic activity with a bimetallic system in comparison to their properties against the commercially used catalyst.