Co-deposition of different mixed nanoparticle concentrations with nickel as efficient OER electrocatalysts in alkaline media

Abstract

The catalytic efficiency of water electrolysis is directly affected by the oxygen evolution reaction (OER). DFT simulation was used to calculate the doping of SiC nanoparticles into Ni–Co alloys. The results indicate that doping nano SiC particles enhances the intrinsic activity of Ni–Co–SiC in OER by introducing a separate RDS at each of the four reaction sites. Then, magnetic field-induced jet electrodeposition was used to manufacture Ni–Co–SiC catalytic electrodes. To obtain a larger specific surface area of the micro/nano structure, nickel nanoparticles, and SiC nanoparticles were mixed in the form of mixed nanoparticles and then added to the electrolyte. The effect of mixed nanoparticle concentration on OER performance of Ni–Co–SiC catalytic electrodes was investigated. Research showed that the Ni–Co–SiC catalytic electrode exhibits micro/nano dense cellular protrusion structures with higher surface roughness with a magnetic field. OER performance of the Ni–Co–SiC catalytic electrode further increased with the concentration of nanoparticles, the catalytic electrode has excellent catalytic performance when the concentration of mixed nanoparticles reaches 6 g/L in the electrolyte. The overpotential of the Ni–Co–SiC/Ni catalytic electrode decreased to 309 mV, and the Tafel slope was 54.5 mV/dec.