Abstract
High anode overpotential of the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) restricts the upscale applications of water electrolysis. We attempt to address such technical challenges through the design and preparation of a group of nanoporous (Fe–Ni–Co)-based metallic glasses (NP–FeNiCo-MGs) as electrocatalyts of OER. The nanoporous structure is yielded through electrochemical selective dissolution of active Fe solid solution phase in free-surface layer of (Fe–Ni–Co)-based amorphous-nanocrystalline alloys (FeNiCo-ANs). Electrochemical tests reveal that integral composite electrodes combining with a catalytic layer of NP-FeNiCo-MGs and a current collector of FeNiCo-ANs exhibit high catalytic activity towards water oxidation in 1 M KOH solutions, which only requires an overpotential of 274 mV to yield a current density of 10 mA cm−2. Studies of electrochemical states and electrode-electrolyte reaction process of the NP-FeNiCo-MGs during OER unveil plausible working mechanisms driving such promising catalytic activities. Based on the merits of a broad tunable range of compositions of active elements for OER, homogeneous distribution of metastable atoms, and high-surface-area nanoporous structure strongly combining with high-conductive substrate, the proposed nanoporous metallic-glass composite electrodes are of great significance for a variety of applications for clean energy.
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