Interface engineering of double-layered nanosheets via cosynergistic modification by LDH interlayer carbonate anion and molybdate for accelerated industrial water splitting at high current density

Abstract

Favorable regulation of electronic coordination environment, especially combined with the interface engineering with synergistic effects to design efficient, stable and low-cost transition-metal-based catalysts for industrial electrocatalytic overall water splitting (EOWS) is a key renewable energy technology, but still facing a daunting challenge. Here, molybdate modification cooperates with LDH interlayer carbonate anion to construct atomic-level coupled heterostructure (NFCH-NMO), and the resulting strong electron interaction at the two-phase interface to directly optimize the electronic structure and d-band center of NiFe-based catalyst. Owing to the high-energy phase boundary effect and the rapid mass transfer advantages of the 3D mesoporous super-hydrophilic surface, the as-prepared NFCH-NMO exhibits remarkable oxygen and hydrogen evolution reaction (OER/HER) catalytic activity, with low overpotentials of 219/203 and 289/297 mV at 50 and 500 mA·cm−2, respectively. The alkaline water electrolyzer of NFCH-NMO || NFCH-NMO only requires a cell potential of 1.66 and 1.839 V to reach 50 and 500 mA·cm−2. This work provides a well-defined catalyst for EOWS at high current density and shows the interfacial engineering of heterostructure with the high-energy interface effect via synergistic modification of LDH interlayer carbonate anion and molybdate is a suitable strategy to enhance the internal electrocatalytic performance of NiFe based catalysts.