Dynamical changes of a Ni-Fe oxide water splitting catalyst investigated at different pH

Abstract

Mixed Ni-Fe oxide electrocatalysts have shown high catalytic activity for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) in alkaline electrolyte. Fundamental research on mixed Ni-Fe OER catalysts has largely focused on high pH, while the OER activity near neutral pH has remained poorly studied.Here we review the activity of an amorphous mixed Ni-Fe oxyhydroxide catalyst supported on carbon (NiFeOx/C) in 0.1M KOH pH 13, in 0.1M borate buffer (Bi) pH 9.2, and in 0.1M phosphate buffer (Pi) pH 7.0. The OER catalytic performance was found to decrease in the order of pH 13>pH 9.2>pH 7. In contrast to pH 13 and 9.2, the catalyst cycled in pH 7 showed an instantaneous decrease in OER activity and a simultaneous loss of the Ni(OH)2/NiOOH redox peak. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and selected area electron diffraction (SAED) showed the formation of crystalline areas upon CV cycling, which appeared more Ni enriched after cycling in pH 7. Deactivated electrodes cycled in pH 13 recovered the OER activity along with a partial reappearance of the Ni redox peak when subsequently cycled in pH 13. SEM-EDX spectroscopy confirmed compositional changes in the bulk during cycling at different pH, with an extensive leaching of Ni in pH 7. Our study provides new insight into the OER activity upon exposure to different electrolyte conditions, which unveils a highly dynamic Ni-Fe oxide framework.