Nest-like NiFe-LDH derived from the ethylene glycol-assisted hydrothermal route: A highly efficient electrocatalyst for water oxidation in neutral solutions

Abstract

Water oxidation is an optimistic pathway for hydrogen generation with high quality. In this work, nest-like nickel iron-layered double hydroxide (NiFe-LDH) nanomaterials were successfully prepared using the ethylene glycol-assisted hydrothermal strategy. Morphological and structural studies showed that in the assistance of ethylene glycol (EG), morphologies of the NiFe-LDH nanomaterials were modified, and their surface areas were enhanced. The nano nest-like NiFe-LDH-EG3 derived with 3.0 mL of EG exhibited an excellent oxygen evolution reaction (OER) activity with a low overpotential of about 400 mV at a current density of 10 mA/cm2 and a Tafel slope of 79 mV/dec in neutral media, and such an outstanding OER activity was attributed to the modified morphology, good crystallinity, and high surface area of the nest-like NiFe-LDH-EG3.