Fabrication of Nanoporous Nickel–Iron Hydroxylphosphate Composite as Bifunctional and Reversible Catalyst for Highly Efficient Intermittent Water Splitting

Abstract

Global-scale application of water-splitting technology for hydrogen fuel production and storage of intermittent renewable energy sources has called for the development of oxygen- and hydrogen-evolution catalysts that are inexpensive, efficient, robust, and can withstand frequent power interruptions and shutdowns. Here, we report the controlled electrodeposition of porous nickel-iron hydroxylphosphate (NiFe-OH-PO4) nanobelts onto the surface of macroporous nickel foams (NF) as a bifunctional electrocatalyst for efficient whole-cell water electrolysis. The NiFe-OH-PO4/NF electrode shows both high water oxidation and water reduction catalytic activity in alkaline solutions and is able to deliver current densities of 20 and 800 mA cm-2 at overpotentials of merely 249 and 326 mV for oxygen-evolution reaction, current densities of 20 and 300 mA cm-2 at overpotentials of only 135 and 208 mV for hydrogen-evolution reaction. Further, in a two-electrode water electrolytic cell, the bifunctional NiFe-OH-PO4/NF electrodes can obtain the current densities of 20 and 100 mA cm-2 at an overall cell potential of only 1.68 and 1.91 V, respectively. Remarkably, the NiFe-OH-PO4/NF catalyst also represents prolonged stability under both continuous and intermittent electrolysis and can be used for oxygen evolution and hydrogen evolution reversibly without degradation.