Synergistic effect of nickel and reduced graphene oxide loading for hydrogen evolution reaction in alkaline media
Farah Ezzah Ab LATIF, Arshid NUMAN, Nur Najwa Abdul TALIB, Wong Weng Pin, Haizum Aimi ZAHARIN, Mohammad Khalid
Abstract. Renewable and sustainable technologies have emerged as a key area of research in addressing global challenges, including climate change, environmental degradation, and the depletion of finite fossil fuel resources. Among various clean-energy approaches, hydrogen production through the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) has attracted significant attention for its high efficiency and environmental compatibility. While nickel-based electrocatalysts are promising low-cost alternatives to platinum for alkaline HER, their application remains limited by poor electrical conductivity and insufficient active site density. Given the benefits of reduced graphene oxide (rGO), with its high surface area, excellent conductivity, and tunable surface chemistry, rGO offers an effective approach to addressing these challenges. The novelty of this work lies in the development of NiS-rGO composites with precisely tuned rGO loadings using a rapid microwave-assisted hydrothermal process, enabling uniform NiS dispersion on rGO sheets and evaluating the optimal rGO content that maximizes HER activity without inducing sheet restacking. This work provides insight into how rGO loading governs porosity, active-site exposure, and electron-transport pathways in NiS-based composites. The resulting catalysts were characterized and evaluated for HER performance in alkaline media. The findings revealed that 20 mg of rGO loading significantly enhanced HER activity, attributed to the synergistic effects between the active NiS nanoclusters and the conductive rGO framework. Overall, this study provides new insights into rationally designing a nickel-carbon hybrid electrocatalyst and establishes a clear strategy for tuning carbon content toward high-performance, cost-effective HER systems that contribute to global decarbonization efforts.
Keywords
Hydrogen Evolution Reaction, Nickel, Reduced Graphene Oxide, Hydrothermal Synthesis, Electrocatalysis, Clean and Affordable Energy
Published online 6/20/2026, 7 pages
Copyright © 2026 by the author(s)
Published under license by Materials Research Forum LLC., Millersville PA, USA
Citation: Farah Ezzah Ab LATIF, Arshid NUMAN, Nur Najwa Abdul TALIB, Wong Weng Pin, Haizum Aimi ZAHARIN, Mohammad Khalid, Synergistic effect of nickel and reduced graphene oxide loading for hydrogen evolution reaction in alkaline media, Materials Research Proceedings, Vol. 67, pp 377-383, 2026
DOI: https://doi.org/10.21741/9781644904176-51
The article was published as article 51 of the book Climate Action and Sustainability
Content from this work may be used under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 license. Any further distribution of this work must maintain attribution to the author(s) and the title of the work, journal citation and DOI.
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