NiCo-LDH sheets and Ag3PO4 nanoparticles decorated on graphitic carbon nitride for efficient oxygen evolution reaction

Abstract

Ternary heterostructure engineering enables highly efficient interfacial charge transfer, which can enhance the efficiency of electrocatalysts for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER), and has thus attracted widespread interest in electrocatalysis. NiCo-LDH/CN/AgPO was synthesized via ultrasonication and subjected to morphological analyses using X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and (high-resolution) transmission electron microscopy. The synergistic effects in the ternary heterostructured NiCo-LDH/CN/AgPO nanocomposite comprising 2D nickel-cobalt layered double hydroxide (NiCo-LDH) and silver phosphate (Ag3PO4) nanospecies anchored on graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) nanosheets will provide promising features as an electrode for the alkaline oxygen evolution reaction (OER). The NiCo-LDH/CN/AgPO heterostructure demonstrated exceptional electrocatalytic OER performance compared to AgPO/NiCo-LDH, AgPO/CN, and CN, achieving a low overpotential of 289mV for the OER at 10mAcm-2 in 1.0M KOH. This superior catalytic activity is attributed to the relatively large electroactive surface area, rapid charge transfer capability, and intimate interactions between the components. The innovative design and synthesis of the NiCo-LDH/CN/AgPO heterostructure provide significant potential for constructing electrocatalysts with superior efficacy in oxygen evolution reactions.