Abstract
An amorphous alloy Ni74.2Co5Nb12.5Y8.3 was synthesized using cryogenic mechanical alloying and evaluated as a catalyst for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) in alkaline media using cyclic voltammetry and Tafel measurements. Electrochemical testing showed that the amorphous alloy possessed a lower Tafel slope and enhanced kinetics for the OER compared to crystalline Ni and Ni95Co5. Anodic cycling of the amorphous alloy resulted in a lower onset potential for the OER and decreased Tafel values while no changes were observed for crystalline Ni95Co5. Pairing of in situ confocal Raman spectroscopy with anodic cycling showed that the amorphous alloy formed reversible hydrous Co oxy/hydroxides instead of irreversible CoO2 typically seen on crystalline NiCo alloys in KOH. The formation of hydrous Co oxy/hydroxides upon cycling was also accompanied by increased formation of β-NiOOH leading to enhanced catalytic performance of the amorphous alloy over the crystalline counterparts.
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