Single-Crystalline Ultrathin Nickel Nanosheets Array from in Situ Topotactic Reduction for Active and Stable Electrocatalysis

Abstract

Simultaneously synthesizing and structuring atomically thick or ultrathin 2D non-precious metal nanocrystal may offer a new class of materials to replace the state-of-art noble-metal electrocatalysts; however, the synthetic strategy is the bottleneck which should be urgently solved. Here we report the synthesis of an ultrathin nickel nanosheet array (Ni-NSA) through in situ topotactic reduction from Ni(OH)2 array precursors. The Ni nanosheets showed a single-crystalline lamellar structure with only ten atomic layers in thickness and an exposed (111) facet. Combined with a superaerophobic (low bubble adhesive) arrayed structure the Ni-NSAs exhibited a dramatic enhancement on both activity and stability towards the hydrazine-oxidation reaction (HzOR) relative to platinum. Furthermore, the partial oxidization of Ni-NSAs in ambient atmosphere resulted in effective water-splitting electrocatalysts for the hydrogen-evolution reaction (HER).