Ru nanoparticles modified Ni3Se4/Ni(OH)2 heterostructure nanosheets: A fast kinetics boosted bifunctional overall water splitting electrocatalyst.

[Display omitted] • The Ru/Ni 3 Se 4 /Ni(OH) 2 /NF catalyst was synthesised via two-step hydrothermal method. • Spontaneous reconfiguration of electrons occurs at the heterointerface between Ru and Ni 3 Se 4 /Ni(OH) 2. • Ni 3 Se 4 /Ni(OH) 2 heterojunction facilitates stable catalysis of Ru nanoparticles. • Ru/Ni 3 Se 4 /Ni(OH) 2 /NF catalyst exhibit superior HER/OER activity and strong stability. Properly design and manufacture of bifunctional electrocatalysts with superb performance and endurance are crucial for overall water splitting. The interfacial engineering strategy is acknowledged as a promising approach to enhance catalytic performance of overall water splitting catalysts. Herein, the Ru nanoparticles modified Ni 3 Se 4 /Ni(OH) 2 heterostructured nanosheets catalyst was constructed using a simple two-step hydrothermal process. The experimental results demonstrate that the abundant heterointerfaces between Ru and Ni 3 Se 4 /Ni(OH) 2 can increase the number of active sites and effectively regulate the electronic structure, greatly accelerating the kinetics of the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER)/oxygen evolution reaction (OER). As a result, the Ru/Ni 3 Se 4 /Ni(OH) 2 /NF catalyst exhibits the low overpotential of 102.8 mV and 334.5 mV at 100 mA cm−2 for HER and OER in alkaline medium, respectively. Furthermore, a two-electrode system composed of the Ru/Ni 3 Se 4 /Ni(OH) 2 /NF requires a battery voltage of just 1.51 V at 10 mA cm−2 and remains stable for 200 h at 500 mA cm−2. This work provides an effective strategy for constructing Ru-based heterostructured catalysts with excellent catalytic activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]