Unveiling the Coercivity-Induced Electrocatalytic Oxygen Evolution Activity of Single-Domain CoFe2O4 Nanocrystals under a Magnetic Field.

Abstract

Spin polarization modulation in ferromagnetic materials has become an effective way to promote the electrocatalytic oxygen evolution reaction (OER). Herein, to reveal the coercivity-related OER performance, single-domain ferromagnetic CoFe2O4 (CFO) nanocrystals with different coercivities are synthesized and subjected to OER under an in situ tunable magnetic field. As the more ordered spin polarization state of CFO with a higher coercivity can afford a facilitated electron transfer process, the magnetic field-assisted OER activity can be more improved with an increase in coercivity. Specifically, the decreased magnitudes of the overpotential, Tafel slope, and charge transfer resistance increase on the samples with higher coercivity. The CFO with the largest coercivity (7500 Oe) shows the best OER performance with an overpotential of 350 mV at a current density of 10 mA cm-2 under a magnetic field of 14000 G. In addition, a hysteresis effect that maintains enhanced OER current density after the magnetic field has been withdrawn is observed, where higher coercivity affords a longer hysteresis period. The exploration of coercivity-related OER enhancement may provide new insights into the design and synthesis of promising "magnetic effect" catalysts.