Enhancing oxygen evolution reaction through self-reconstruction of 2D nanoarrays on nickel foam

Abstract

The synthesis of nanostructured transition metal compounds with adjustable components are often challenging due to the involvement of multiple synthetic procedures or complex manipulations. In this work, a one-step self-regulating acid-etching strategy is employed for nickel iron-layered double hydroxide (NiFe LDH). A two-dimensional (2D) NiFe LDH nanosheet is speedy and efficiently formed. This as-prepared NiFe LDH exhibits electrocatalytic activity for oxygen evolution reaction (OER). This approach avoids numerous structural design challenges and provides highly active sites and a robust interface between catalyst and support. As a result, 2D NiFe LDH electrodes demonstrate highly efficient OER performance with a low overpotential of 300 mV and a Tafel slope of 70.6 mV dec−1 at a current density of 100 mA cm−2.