The design and fabrication of catalysts with low-cost and high electrocatalytic activity for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) have remained challenging because of the sluggish kinetics of this reaction. The key to the pursuit of efficient electrocatalysts is to design them with high surface area and more active sites. In this work, we have successfully synthesized a highly stable and active NiCo2S4 nanowire array on a Ni-foam substrate (NiCo2S4 NW/NF) via a two-step hydrothermal synthesis approach. This NiCo2S4 NW/NF exhibits overpotential as low as 275 mV, delivering a current density of 20 mA cm-2 (versus reversible hydrogen electrode) with a low Tafel slope of 89 mV dec-1 and superior long-term stability for 20 h in 1M KOH electrolyte. The outstanding performance is ascribed to the inherent activity of the binder-free deposited, vertically aligned nanowire structure, which provides a large number of electrochemically active surface sites, accelerating electron transfer, and simultaneously enhancing the diffusion of electrolyte.

Ni nanowires were fabricated using anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) membrane as a template by electrochemical deposition. The nanowires were formed within the walls of AAO template with 200 nm in pore diameter. After researching proper voltage and temperature for electrochemical deposition, the length of Ni nanowires was controlled by deposition time and the supply of electrolyte. The morphology and microstructure of Ni nanowires were investigated by field emission scanning electron microscope (FE-SE), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscope (TEM).