Amorphous metal-based catalysts are highly promising for water splitting due to their abundance of unsaturated active sites. Herein, we report a one-step, surfactant-free synthesis of amorphous nickel nanoparticles (NPs) encapsulated in nitrogen-doped carbon shells (A-Ni@NC) via pulsed laser ablation in liquid (PLAL). The synergistic integration of the amorphous Ni core and a defect-rich N-doped carbon shell markedly enhanced the catalytic activities for both the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER), with low overpotentials of 182 mV for HER and 288 mV for OER at 10 mA cm⁻² in 1.0 M KOH. Furthermore, the bifunctional catalyst achieved a current density of 10 mA cm⁻² at 1.63 V and retained 98.9% of its initial performance after 100 h of operation. The nitrogen-rich carbon shell not only offered abundant active sites and structural protection but also promoted charge transport. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations revealed that N-doping optimized intermediate adsorption energies, while the amorphous Ni core facilitated efficient electron transfer. This green and scalable synthesis strategy provides a promising platform for developing a wide range of transition metal@N-doped carbon hybrid catalysts for sustainable energy conversion applications.

This study focused on producing metal matrix composite (MMC) coatings on Ti–6Al–4V alloy through laser surface alloying using a novel combination of Inconel 625 and SiC precursor materials. Various ratios of alloying powders were examined to evaluate surface properties such as microhardness, wear resistance, and friction coefficient, along with analyzing the phase composition and microstructure of the coatings. The in situ synthesized MMC coatings exhibited the presence of α-Ti, NiTi, NiTi₂, and TiC phases. Additionally, Ti₅Si₃ and α-Ti/Ti₅Si₃ eutectic structures were observed when the SiC content exceeded 20%. In comparison to the titanium substrate, the MMC coating significantly enhanced microhardness by over threefold and reduced wear by 95%. However, it was crucial to carefully select the appropriate combination of alloying powders to avoid a substantial decrease in friction performance and excessive formation of cracks. Through a comparative analysis of experimental results, the optimal precursor material composition was identified as 85% Inconel 625 and 15% SiC. This study demonstrated the effective utilization of Inconel 625 and SiC alloying materials to enhance the surface properties of titanium alloys, thereby expanding their application in challenging environments.