Construction of Fe-doped Co3S4 nanosheets on Ni Foam as an efficient OER electrocatalyst

Abstract

Oxygen evolution reaction (OER) is a complex four-electron coupled process, which significantly impacts the efficiency of the electrocatalytic reaction. Design and preparation of cost-effective and binder-free OER electrocatalysts are essential to improving catalytic efficiency. In this paper, Fe-doped Co3S4 nanosheets have been directly deposited on nickel foam (NF) and applied to OER. Due to the synergy arising from the augmentation of active sites and charge transfer efficiency, Fe-Co3S4/NF exhibits excellent OER electrocatalytic activity. The overpotential of 242 mV and a Tafel slope of 50.5 mV dec−1 at a current density of 10 mA cm−2 was achieved in 1.0 M KOH solution, which was lower than commercial RuO2. Fe-Co3S4/NF electrode also exhibits long-term stability, maintaining a consistent current density over a 20-hour testing period. This makes Fe-Co3S4/NF electrode has potential utilization in industrial applications.