Recommended Testing Methods of NF as Support for Nanosized Electrocatalysts: Implications for Water Splitting

To achieve efficient hydrogen production through water electrolysis, in recent years, more scholars have used nickel foam (NF) as a self-supporting material to grow various nanomaterial electrocatalysts, such as layered double hydroxides (LDHs), achieving high current densities. However, currently, for testing the performance of NF grown with various nanomaterials, the testing parameters vary greatly across different literature studies, such as the tested area of NF, solution concentration, and solution stirring rate, and this leads to the electrocatalytic performance of NF being overly simplified. Neglecting the influence of these properties on catalyst electrocatalytic performance during testing makes it difficult to accurately evaluate the electrocatalytic activity of nanomaterials on the NF surface. To standardize the assessment of the electrocatalytic performance of nanomaterials, it is essential to understand the influencing parameters, which include the types of counter and reference electrodes, the solution characteristics, the testing area of NF, and the properties of NF.