Nickel-incorporated electrochemical activated carbon cloth for efficient and robust water oxidation activity

Abstract

Carbon cloth is treated with a moderate electrochemical activation strategy to enrich its surface functional groups. In result, the hydrophilicity and intrinsic activity of carbon cloth (CC) can be enhanced. Furthermore, the activated carbon cloth (ACC) can adsorb massive transition-metal like nickel ions with a wet chemistry method. Combined with a low temperature thermal reduction under the atmosphere of Ar/H2, nickel-incorporated activated carbon cloth (Ni-ACC) can be obtained. In comparison with bare CC and nickel-incorporated carbon cloth (Ni-CC), the Ni-ACC displays more superior activity and durability of water oxidation in alkaline environment. The overpotential at the current density of 10 mA cm−2 (η10) is maintained at 245 mV after chronopotentiometry (CP) test for 24 h. The electrochemical activated method can serve as a simple approach for fabricating various metal-incorporated ACC.