Hierarchical nickel carbonate hydroxide nanostructures for photocatalytic hydrogen evolution from water splitting

Abstract

Metal carbonate hydroxides have emerged as novel and promising candidates for water splitting due to their good electrochemical properties and eco-friendly features. In this study, the hierarchical mesoporous structure of nickel carbonate hydroxide hydrate (Ni₂(CO₃)(OH)₂·4H₂O) was synthesized by a one-pot facile hydrothermal method. It demonstrated photocatalytic properties for the first time, exhibiting a hydrogen evolution reaction yield of 10 μmol g⁻¹ h⁻¹ under white light irradiation with a nominal power of 0.495 W. This facile synthesis strategy and the good photocatalytic properties indicate that nickel carbonate hydroxide is a promising material for application in photocatalytic hydrogen evolution.