CuCo2S4 hollow nanoneedle arrays supported on Ni foam as efficient trifunctional electrocatalysts for overall water splitting and Al–Air batteries

Abstract Design and synthesis of multi-functional electrocatalysts with high efficiency and low cost to replace noble metals are significantly important to realize new energy technologies. Herein, we report CuCo2S4 hollow nanoneedle arrays as efficient trifunctional electrocatalysts for overall water splitting and aluminium-air batteries. CuCo2S4 hollow nanoneedle arrays are grown on Ni foam (NF) via a facile hydrothermal method. Benefiting from the porous and hollow structure to expose more active sites, the CuCo2S4/NF hollow nanoneedle arrays exhibit superior electrocatalytic performance for hydrogen evolution (HER), oxygen evolution (OER), oxygen reduction reactions (ORR) in alkaline electrolytes. The corresponding experimental HER and OER overpotentials of CuCo2S4/NF catalyst are 61 mV and 189 mV at 10 mA cm−2 in 1.0 M KOH. In an assembled primary Al-air battery, the CuCo2S4/NF catalysts demonstrate an outstanding peak power density of 160 mW cm−2. This work provides a new strategy for developing non-noble metal multiple-functional catalysts for energy conversion and energy storage devices.