Facile Synthesis of an Efficient Ni–Fe–Co Based Oxygen Evolution Reaction Electrocatalyst

Abstract

Electrolytic water splitting offers energy storage and conversion opportunities, yet the slow kinetics of the oxygen evolution reaction requires the incorporation of catalytic materials. Herein, we present a facile method for the synthesis of a low-cost Ni-Fe-Co material that efficiently catalyzes the oxygen evolution reaction. A mixed transition metal electrocatalyst was synthesized using a nickel-plated iron substrate and a low concentration cobalt reagent. The catalyst was able to achieve competitive current densities (>130 mA cm−2) and still exhibit a low overpotential of 0.30 V at the benchmark current density of 10 mA cm−2. The Ni-Fe-Co catalyst was stable and maintained its activity during 24 h of electrolysis in alkaline media. The catalyst was also stable when maintained in ambient conditions for 90 days. This is the first reported oxygen evolution reaction catalyst that exhibits these competitive characteristics and that was synthesized using an environmentally-conscious, one-step process that can be manufactured on an industrial scale.