Abstract
Abstract Cobalt-iron double hydroxide (CoFe–OH) films were electrochemically deposited on 3D Ni foam electrodes for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER). The dependence of the OER activity on film composition and thickness was evaluated, which revealed an optimal Fe:Co ratio of about 1:2.33. The composition of the catalyst film was observed to vary with film thickness. The electrodeposition parameters were carefully controlled to yield microstructured Ni-foam decorated with CoFe–OH films of controlled thickness and composition. The most active electrode exhibited an overpotential as low as 360 mV OER at an industrial scale current density of 400 mA cm−2 that remained stable for at least 320 h. This work contributes towards the fabrication of practical electrodes with the focus on the development of stable electrodes for electrocatalytic oxygen evolution at high current densities.
Highlights
The finiteness of fossil fuels and the negative consequences of their use on the environment and global climate calls for urgent search for alternative energy sources and technologies for posterity
To make hydrogen produced from water splitting affordable, it is imperative to reduce the cost of water electrolysis, which can be achieved through the design of low-cost but highly efficient electrocatalysts for both the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and the oxygen evolution reaction (OER)
For better control of the electrodeposition process, the electrolyte was saturated with Ar in order to exclude the possibility of any pH shift caused by the reduction of oxygen
Summary
The finiteness of fossil fuels and the negative consequences of their use on the environment and global climate calls for urgent search for alternative energy sources and technologies for posterity. The outstanding electrocatalytic properties of Co–Fe double hydroxides for the OER together with the attractive properties of Ni foam as 3D catalyst support, were exploited to develop a high-performance CoFe–OH/Ni-foam anode for the OER with high activity and long-term stability at industrial scale current densities. The long-term stability of the resulting electrode was evaluated at an industrial scale current density of 400 mA cm−2 during which the potential remained below 1.6 V vs RHE for a test period of 320 h Stability tests at such high current densities and durations are rarely reported, which underscores the contribution of this work towards the development of practical low-cost and efficient electrodes for the OER
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