Boosting the electrocatalytic activity of NiCoS by Zr doping as a promising electrocatalyst for oxygen evolution reaction.

[Display omitted] • Porous NF/Ni@Zr-NiCoS was synthesized via a simple electrodeposition–hydrolysis–hydrothermal method. • The high valent Zr4+ doping optimized the electronic structure of NF/Ni@Zr-NiCoS. • The methanol oxidation reaction (MOR) reveals the surface stronger *OH covering. • The apparent activation energy is 84.4 kJ mol−1. Electrochemical water splitting shows great promise as a method for hydrogen production yet remains challenge. Herein, this paper reports a high valent zirconium (Zr) doped bimetal sulfide grown onto coarsen nickel foam (NF/Ni@Zr-NiCoS) via a sequent process including electrodeposition, hydrolysis and hydrothermal sulphuration. The optimal NF/Ni@Zr 3.6% -NiCoS processes the largest active sites and demonstrates an overpotential of 216 and 275 mV at 10 and 100 mA cm−2 with a robust stability of more than 100 h@200 mA cm−2, exceeding the state-of-the-art benchmark RuO 2 catalyst. The Zr4+-doping decrease the electron density of the Ni center, which enhance the intrinsic activity. A novel methanol oxidation reaction (MOR) further reveals that the NF/Ni@Zr 3.6% -NiCoS electrocatalyst demonstrated a stronger binding ability to *OH and the decreased apparent activation energy of 84.4 kJ mol−1. This work offers a new strategy for optimization the adsorption of intermediates via doping method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]