Oxygen Evolution Reaction Catalysts Research Articles

Fluorine‐Lodged High‐Valent High‐Entropy Layered Double Hydroxide for Efficient, Long‐Lasting Zinc‐Air Batteries

AbstractEfficient and stable bifunctional oxygen evolution reaction (OER) and oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) catalysts are urgently needed to unlock the full potential of zinc‐air batteries (ZABs). High‐valence oxides (HVOs) and high entropy oxides (HEOs) are suitable candidates for their optimal electronic structures and stability but suffer from demanding synthesis. Here, a low‐cost fluorine‐lodged high‐valent high‐entropy layered double hydroxide (HV‐HE‐LDH) (FeCoNi2F4(OH)4) is conveniently prepared through multi‐ions co‐precipitation, where F− are firmly embedded into the individual hydroxide layers. Spectroscopic detections and theoretical simulations reveal high valent metal cations are obtained in FeCoNi2F4(OH)4, which enlarge the energy band overlap between metal 3d and O 2p, enhancing the electronic conductivity and charge transfer, thus affording high intrinsic OER catalytic activity. More importantly, the strengthened metal‐oxygen (M−O) bonds and stable octahedral geometry (M−O(F)6) in FeCoNi2F4(OH)4 prevent structural reorganization, rendering long‐term catalytic stability. Furthermore, an efficient three‐phase reaction interface with fast oxygen transportation was constructed, significantly improving the ORR activity. ZABs assembled with FeCoNi2F4(OH)4@HCC (hydrophobic carbon cloth) cathodes deliver a top performance with high round‐trip energy efficiency (61.3 % at 10 mA cm−2) and long‐term stability (efficiency remains at 58.8 % after 1050 charge–discharge cycles).

Fluorine-lodged high-valent high-entropy layered double hydroxide for efficient, long-lasting zinc-air batteries.

Efficient and stable bifunctional oxygen evolution reaction (OER) and oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) catalysts are urgently needed to unlock the full potential of zinc-air batteries (ZABs). High-valence oxides (HVOs) and high entropy oxides (HEOs) are suitable candidates for their optimal electronic structures and stability but suffer from demanding synthesis. Here, a low-cost fluorine-lodged high-valent high-entropy layered double hydroxide (HV-HE-LDH) (FeCoNi2F4(OH)4) is conveniently prepared through multi-ions co-precipitation, where F- are firmly embedded into the individual hydroxide layers. Spectroscopic detections and theoretical simulations reveal high valent metal cations are obtained in FeCoNi2F4(OH)4, which enlarge the energy band overlap between metal 3d and O 2p, enhancing the electronic conductivity and charge transfer, thus affording high intrinsic OER catalytic activity. More importantly, the strengthened metal-oxygen (M-O) bonds and stable octahedral geometry (M-O(F)6) in FeCoNi2F4(OH)4 prevent structural reorganization, rendering long-term catalytic stability. Furthermore, an efficient three-phase reaction interface with fast oxygen transportation was constructed, significantly improving the ORR activity. ZABs assembled with FeCoNi2F4(OH)4@HCC (hydrophobic carbon cloth) cathodes deliver a top performance with high round-trip energy efficiency (60.6% at 10 mA cm-2) and long-term stability (efficiency remains at 58.8% after 1050 charge-discharge cycles).

Single-Atom Doped Fullerene (MN4-C54) as Bifunctional Catalysts for the Oxygen Reduction and Oxygen Evolution Reactions.

Development of high-performance oxygen evolution reaction (OER) and oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) catalysts is crucial to realizing the electrolytic water cycle. C60 is an ideal substrate material for single atom catalysts (SACs) due to its unique electron-withdrawing properties and spherical structure. In this work, we screened for a novel single-atom catalyst based on C60, which anchored transition metal atoms in the C60 molecule by coordination with N atoms. Through first-principles calculations, we evaluated the stability and activity of MN4-C54 (M = Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Rh, Ru, Pd, Ag, Pt, Ir, Au). The results indicate that CuN4-C54, which is based only on earth-abundant elements, exhibited low overpotentials of 0.46 and 0.47 V for the OER and ORR, respectively, and was considered a promising bifunctional catalyst, showing better performance than the noble-metal ones. In addition, according to the linear relationship of intermediates, we established volcano plots to describe the activity trends of the OER and ORR on MN4-C54. Finally, d-band center and crystal orbital Hamiltonian populations methods were used to explain the catalytic origin. Suitable d-band centers lead to moderate adsorption strength, further leading to good catalytic performances.

A Straightforward Model for Quantifying Local pH Gradients Governing the Oxygen Evolution Reaction.

The production and consumption of protons by an electrocatalyst will, under certain conditions, generate localized microenvironments with properties distinct from those of the bulk solution. These local properties are particularly impactful for reactions involving proton-coupled electron transfer, where the generation of locally basic or acidic environments may significantly influence the energy efficiency and reaction selectivity of the electrocatalyst. Whereas local pH environments have been observed and characterized in reductive half-reactions, including the CO2 reduction and hydrogen evolution reactions, the incompatibility of conventional techniques and materials has limited studies in oxidative half-reactions, including the oxygen evolution reaction (OER), which provides the reducing equivalents for solar-to-fuels electrolysis. With the straightforward parameters bulk pH, buffer composition and pKa, and mass transport, we develop a model for describing local pH as a function of current density regardless of the microscopic details of the mechanism. Using an acid-stable PbOx OER catalyst, we observe the formation and dissipation of pH gradients during the OER and validate the model with voltammetric and potentiometric studies. The model predicts how local acidic environments can develop over a narrow OER current density window, thus providing further motivation for the development of OER catalysts that are stable to acid, even when operating in basic aqueous conditions. More generally, the model is not restricted to the OER and is useful for determining the onset of local pH gradients for other electrocatalytic reactions that involve the consumption or generation of protons in energy conversion reactions.

Anion‐Mediated Rapid and Direct Synthesis of FeNiOOH for Robust Water Oxidation

AbstractFeNiOOH is regarded as the most stable active species in the oxygen evolution reaction (OER), but the high oxidation energy of NiOOH poses a challenge to directly synthesize FeNiOOH as a real OER catalyst. Herein, an anion‐mediated kinetically controlled strategy is proposed, coupled with cation‐induced geometric topology modulation, to directly synthesis FeNiOOH with ultra‐thin, densely packed nanosheet architectures. Specifically, the Cl−‐mediated in situ generation of hypochlorous acid promotes the direct formation of NiFeOOH. Concurrently, high‐valence competitive Ru3+ mitigate electrostatic repulsion, fostering a compact and densely packed assembly of Ru/FeNiOOH nanosheet branches. Furthermore, the intrinsic electron‐capturing ability of FeOOH, in synergy with the stabilizing effect of doped Ru atoms, further promote the formation and stabilization high‐valence NiOOH. Consequently, the hierarchical Ru/FeNiOOH@NiPOx nanoarray catalyst displays exceptional OER performance, with an overpotential of 172 mV at 10 mA cm−2 and outstanding stability. This study provides a novel strategy to directly construct a real catalyst.

Ultrafast Room-Temperature Synthesis of Phosphate-Intercalated NiFe Layered Double Hydroxides for High-Performance Alkaline Seawater Oxidation.

Quick and easy synthetic methods and highly efficient catalytic performance are equally important to anodic oxygen evolution reaction (OER) electrocatalysts for alkaline seawater electrolysis. Herein, we report a facile one-step route to in situ growing PO43- intercalated NiFe layered double hydroxides (NiFe-LDH) on Ni foam (denoted as NiFe-P/NF) by a room-temperature immersion for several minutes. This ultrafast approach transforms the NF surface into a rough PO43- intercalated NiFe-LDH overlayer, which demonstrates outstanding OER performance in both alkaline simulated and natural seawaters owing to good hydrophilic interface and the electrostatic repulsion of PO43- against Cl- anions. Density functional theory calculations reveal that the intercalated PO43- can not only promote electron transfer but also prevent Cl- from entering the interlayer and simultaneously inhibit the migration of Cl- over the NiFe-LDH surface. In alkaline simulated and natural seawater electrolytes, NiFe-P/NF needs low overpotentials of 248 and 298 mV to achieve a current density of 100 mA cm-2, respectively. NiFe-P/NF can stably run over 42 h in an alkaline high-salty electrolyte (1 M KOH + 2.5 M NaCl) at 250 mA cm-2, more than 70 times that of NiFe/NF (0.6 h), emphasizing the critical role of the intercalated PO43- anions on the excellent durability. This study offers a new strategy to modify commercial NF to prepare efficient and stable OER catalysts for seawater electrolysis.

NiIr nanowireassembles as an efficient electrocatalyst towards oxygen evolution reaction in both acid and alkaline media.

Oxygen evolution reaction (OER) is the rate-limiting step in water electrolysis due to its sluggish kinetic, and it is challenging to develop an OER catalyst that could work efficiently in both acid and alkaline environment. Herein, NiIr nanowire assembles (NAs) with unique nanoflower morphology were prepared by a facile hydrothermal method. As a result, the NiIr NAs exhibited superior OER activity in both acid and alkaline media. Specifically, in 0.1 M HClO4, NiIr NAs presented a superior electrocatalytic performance with a low overpotential of merely 242 mV at 10 mA cm-2 and a Tafel slope of only 58.1 mV dec-1, surpassing that of commercial IrO2 and pure Ir NAs. And it achieved a significantly higher mass activity of 148.40 A/g at -1.5 V versus RHE. In 1.0 M KOH, NiIr NAs has an overpotential of 291 mV at 10 mA cm-2 and a Tafel slope of 42.1 mV dec-1. Such remarkable activity makes the NiIr NAs among the best of recently reported representative Ir-based OER electrocatalysts. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations confirmed alloying effect promotes surface bonding of NiIr with oxygen-containing reactants, resulting in excellent catalytic properties.

Strontium Doped IrOx Triggers Direct O-O Coupling to Boost Acid Water Oxidation Electrocatalysis.

The discovery of efficient and stable electrocatalysts for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) in acidic conditions is crucial for the commercialization of proton-exchange membrane water electrolyzers. In this work, we propose a Sr(OH)2-assisted method to fabricate a (200) facet highly exposed strontium-doped IrOx catalyst to provide available adjacent iridium sites with lower Ir-O covalency. This design facilitates direct O-O coupling during the acidic water oxidation process, thereby circumventing the high energy barrier associated with the generation of *OOH intermediates. Benefiting from this advantage, the resulting Sr-IrOx catalyst exhibits an impressive overpotential of 207 mV at a current density of 10 mA cm-2 in 0.5 M H2SO4. Furthermore, a PEMWE device utilizing Sr-IrOx as the anodic catalyst demonstrates a cell voltage of 1.72 V at 1 A cm-2 and maintains excellent stability for over 500 hours. Our work not only provides guidance for the design of improved acidic OER catalysts but also encourages the development of iridium-based electrocatalysts with novel mechanisms for other electrocatalytic reactions.

Manipulating d‐Band Center of Ru Sites in Branched RuO2 Nanofibers Enables Significantly Enhanced Alkaline Overall Water Splitting Performance

AbstractAlthough ruthenium dioxide (RuO2) is an efficacious oxygen evolution reaction (OER) catalyst in acidic media, its performance in alkaline conditions is subpar and it is also ineffective for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) in common electrolytes. Here, an effective phosphorus (P)‐doping strategy is introduced to manipulate the d‐band center of ruthenium (Ru) sites, attenuating the adsorption energy of HER intermediates and lowering the energy barrier in OER, thereby significantly accelerating both HER and OER performance. The representative 10%P‐RuO2 nanofibers (NFs) catalyst presents an ultralow overpotential of 177.9 mV at 1 A cm−2 and long‐term stability of 300 h in 1 m KOH toward HER, greatly exceeding those of benchmark platinum (Pt)/C catalyst. Moreover, the 10%P‐RuO2 NFs catalyst exhibits an exceptional OER performance with a low overpotential of 250 mV at 10 mA cm−2 (η10) and desirable stability of 150 h at 1 A cm−2, which is far better than commercial RuO2 and many other typical previously reported OER catalysts. Additionally, an overall water electrolytic cell using 10%P‐RuO2 NFs as both anode and cathode necessitates a working voltage of 1.52 V (η10) and demonstrates long‐term stability over 100 h at 1 A cm−2, outperforming many typical water electrolysis cells.

Fluorine-doped carbon dots decorated on iron-cobalt selenide nanosheets as superior electrocatalysts for oxygen evolution in seawater

Developing oxygen evolution reaction (OER) catalysts that can efficiently and stably operate at high current densities in seawater electrolysis is urgently demanded but challenging. In this study, selenium-vacancies-rich iron-cobalt selenide nanosheets (FeCoSe-VSe) decorated with fluorine-doped carbon dots (FCDs) are rationally designed and prepared on nickel foams (NF) through the successive processes of hydrothermal treatment and selenization. Benefiting from the large accessible surface area and abundant active sites provided by FCDs and selenium vacancy defects, as well as the coupled interface between FCDs and FeCoSe-VSe that optimizes the oxygen adsorption energy and accelerates the kinetic process, the FCDs/FeCoSe-VSe/NF composite exhibits excellent OER catalytic activities with a low overpotential of 258 mV at a current density of 200 mA cm−2 in 1 M KOH and a small Tafel slope of 34.7 mV dec–1. In the electrolytes of simulated and natural seawater, the overpotentials of the FCDs/FeCoSe-VSe/NF electrode are slightly higher, measured to be 264 and 297 mV, respectively. More profoundly, the introduction of FCDs enhances the corrosion resistance of the catalyst in alkaline electrolytes, ensuring the long-term stability. This work offers a guidance to improve the electrochemical performances of catalysts for high-efficiency seawater oxidation.

Crystalline-Amorphous IrOx Supported on Perovskite Nanotubes for pH-Universal OER.

Designing catalysts with desirable oxygen evolution reaction (OER) performance under pH-universal conditions is of great significance to promote the development of hydrogen production. Herein, we successfully synthesized a crystalline-amorphous IrOx supported on perovskite oxide nanotubes to obtain IrOx@La0.6Ca0.4Fe0.8Ni0.2O3 with superior OER performance in whole pH media. The overpotential of the IrOx@La0.6Ca0.4Fe0.8Ni0.2O3 catalyst in media of pH 14, 7.2, and 1 has been demonstrated to be 120, 400, and 143 mV, respectively, with no significant element dissolution as well as double-layer capacitance decay after the durability test. Through comparative experiments with IrOx@CNT and the physical mixture of IrOx and La0.6Ca0.4Fe0.8Ni0.2O3, it is found that the strong metal-support interaction (SMSI) in IrOx@La0.6Ca0.4Fe0.8Ni0.2O3 makes IrOx exist in an amorphous state rich in Ir3+, which is closely associated with the surface-active species Ir-OH. Through the regulation of Ir by a perovskite oxide support at the heterointerface, the reaction breaks through the limitation of the adsorbate evolution mechanism (AEM) and converts to a lattice-oxygen-mediated mechanism (LOM), which was fully demonstrated by the addition of the probe tetramethylammonium cation (TMA+), a LOM reaction intermediate, to the electrolyte. This work fills the research gap of perovskite oxide supported Ir-based catalysts with heterogeneous structures, providing an excellent strategy for the structural design of efficient pH-universal OER catalysts for hydrogen production systems.

Engineering Amorphous/Crystalline Nanoflower Heterointerfaces for Enhanced Acidic Water Oxidation

AbstractEfficient water electrolysis for green hydrogen production relies on the development of robust oxygen evolution reaction (OER) catalysts, particularly for acidic environments. This study introduces amorphous/crystalline Mn─Ru binary oxides nanoflowers (a/c‐Mn0.9Ru0.1O2) as a promising acidic OER catalyst, synthesized via a two‐step phase engineering approach. The optimized a/c‐Mn0.9Ru0.1O2‐200 composition exhibits exceptional OER activity, requiring a low overpotential of 168 mV to achieve a current density of 10 mA/cm2 and demonstrating remarkable stability over 28 h. This significantly outperforms commercial RuO2 catalysts, which require an overpotential of 320 mV at 10 mA/cm2 and exhibit a stability of only 0.5 h under identical conditions. X‐ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) and X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analysis results reveal the formation of Mn─O─Ru linkages and an optimized d‐band electronic structure, attributed to strong electronic coupling at the amorphous/crystalline interface. This unique architecture promotes optimal adsorption/desorption of OER intermediates, leading to enhanced catalytic performance. This study offers a novel strategy for the rational design and production of efficient acidic OER catalysts.

High-Entropy Ag-Ru-based Electrocatalysts with Dual-Active-Center for Highly Stable Ultra-Low-Temperature Zinc-Air Batteries.

The development of advanced bifunctional catalysts for oxygen evolution reaction (OER) and oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) is significant for rechargeable zinc-air batteries (ZABs). Herein, a unique dual active center alloying strategy is proposed to achieve the efficient bifunctional oxygen catalysis, and the high entropy effect is further exploited to modulate the structure and performance of the catalysts. The MOF-assisted pyrolysis-replacement-alloying method was employed to construct the CoCuFeAgRu high-entropy alloy (HEA), which are uniformly anchored in porous nitrogen-doped carbon nanosheets. Notably, the obtained HEA catalyst exhibits excellent catalytic performance for both ORR and OER, and a peak power density of 136. 53 mW cm-2 and an energy density of 987.9 mAh gZn-1, surpassing the most of the previously reported bifunctional oxygen electrocatalysts. Moreover, the assembled flexible rechargeable ZAB enables excellent performance even at the ultralow temperature of -40°C, with an energy density of 601.6 mAh gZn-1 and remarkable cycling stability up to 1,650 hours. Combined experimental and theoretical calculation results reveal that the excellent bifunctional catalytic activity of the HEA catalyst originated from the synergistic effect of the Ag and Ru dual active centers, and the optimization of the electronic structure by alloying effect.

High‐Entropy Ag‐Ru‐based Electrocatalysts with Dual‐Active‐Center for Highly Stable Ultra‐Low‐Temperature Zinc‐Air Batteries

The development of advanced bifunctional catalysts for oxygen evolution reaction (OER) and oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) is significant for rechargeable zinc‐air batteries (ZABs). Herein, a unique dual active center alloying strategy is proposed to achieve the efficient bifunctional oxygen catalysis, and the high entropy effect is further exploited to modulate the structure and performance of the catalysts. The MOF‐assisted pyrolysis‐replacement‐alloying method was employed to construct the CoCuFeAgRu high‐entropy alloy (HEA), which are uniformly anchored in porous nitrogen‐doped carbon nanosheets. Notably, the obtained HEA catalyst exhibits excellent catalytic performance for both ORR and OER, and a peak power density of 136. 53 mW cm‐2 and an energy density of 987.9 mAh gZn‐1, surpassing the most of the previously reported bifunctional oxygen electrocatalysts. Moreover, the assembled flexible rechargeable ZAB enables excellent performance even at the ultralow temperature of ‐40°C, with an energy density of 601.6 mAh gZn‐1 and remarkable cycling stability up to 1,650 hours. Combined experimental and theoretical calculation results reveal that the excellent bifunctional catalytic activity of the HEA catalyst originated from the synergistic effect of the Ag and Ru dual active centers, and the optimization of the electronic structure by alloying effect.

Research Progress in Structure Evolution and Durability Modulation of Ir- and Ru-Based OER Catalysts under Acidic Conditions.

Green hydrogen energy, as one of the most promising energy carriers, plays a crucial role in addressing energy and environmental issues. Oxygen evolution reaction catalysts, as the key to water electrolysis hydrogen production technology, have been subject to durability constraints, preventing large-scale commercial development. Under the high current density and harsh acid-base electrolyte conditions of the water electrolysis reaction, the active metals in the catalysts are easily converted into high-valent soluble species to dissolve, leading to poor structural durability of the catalysts. There is an urgent need to overcome the durability challenges under acidic conditions and develop electrocatalysts with both high catalytic activity and high durability. In this review, the latest research results are analyzed in depth from both thermodynamic and kinetic perspectives. First, a comprehensive summary of the structural deactivation state process of noble metal oxide catalysts is presented. Second, the evolution of the structure of catalysts possessing high durability is discussed. Finally, four new strategies for the preparation of stable catalysts, "electron buffer (ECB) strategy", combination strength control, strain control, and surface coating, are summarized. The challenges and prospects are also elaborated for the future synthesis of more effective Ru/Ir-based catalysts and boost their future application.

Synergistic effects of feni bimetal-doped biochar on oxygen evolution reaction kinetics: A one-step, low-temperature pyrolysis approach

As the hydrogen energy sector progresses, water electrolysis technology played a crucial role in producing green hydrogen. A major challenge in this endeavor lied in the oxygen evolution reaction (OER), where the overpotential has consistently been high leading to an increase in the energy demand. This study developed a one-step pyrolysis technique to transform metal-supported biomass into FeNi/NC catalysts having enhanced crystallinity and defect sites. This process without activation step using strong acids or bases reduced the operational procedures and the treatment of intermediate products, which reduced the technical difficulty. As the pyrolysis temperature increases, the metal ions in the biochar gradually formed stable metal oxides, which catalyze the alkaline OER and markedly boosted catalytic efficiency. Crucially, the abundance of lattice oxygen and oxygen vacancies in the catalyst played a key role in enhancing the OER kinetics. Notably, the catalyst pyrolyzed at 750 °C demonstrated good performance, with an overpotential of 270 mV at a concentration of 10 mA cm−2 of the density of current, which was superior to RuO2(η10=315 mV) and IrO2(η10=300 mV). Overall, this study reported an approach for the fabrication of high-performance OER catalysts and the strategic utilization of biomass resources for application in clean energy technologies.

Boosting the bifunctional catalytic activity of Co3O4 on silver and nickel substrates for the alkaline oxygen evolution and reduction reactions

Developing an efficient bifunctional catalyst for oxygen reduction (ORR) and evolution reactions (OER) is a crucial step for the wide commercialization of alkaline water electrolyzers. However, a proper assessment and comparison of various catalysts is still challenging due to the different catalyst substrates and loadings. In this work, Co3O4 spinel nanoparticles (NPs) were investigated as a bifunctional catalyst at different substrates of glassy carbon or Ag bulk substrate or Ni particles and with different loadings. For Co3O4 (800 µg cm-2)/Ag electrode, not only the overpotential for ORR was 50 mV lower than the bare Ag electrode, but also the OER overpotential was 40 mV lower than the sole Co3O4. Besides, less than 1% peroxide intermediate was detected during ORR using the rotating ring disc electrode (RRDE) method, suggesting a 4-electron O2 reduction. Tafel slopes of 70 and 60 mV dec‑1 at Co3O4/Ag were obtained for ORR and OER, respectively. The improved bifunctional activity could be attributed to a synergistic effect between Co3O4 and the Ag support. For the loading effect, it is revealed that the number of accessible sites of Ag surface decreases with increasing the Co3O4 loading, as evaluated from lead-underpotential deposition measurements. Interestingly, after running ORR/OER cycles, the surface area increased by 4–6 times. This surface roughening was also confirmed by SEM and EDX. The study was extended to Co3O4+Ni mixed catalyst to validate the effect of the support on this induced synergism. Hence, this work provides a simple route for designing potential effective catalytic interfaces and contributes to unravelling the influence of the substrate and loading on the catalyst activity for water electrolyzers.

Fe/FeCo-based metal-organic framework nanosheet/ nanoparticle directly grown on nickel foam as a stable electrode for electrochemical oxygen evolution reaction

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are selective electrocatalysts for oxygen evolution reactions (OER) owing to their high specific surface area, rich pore structure, and so on. Herein, a series of Fe/FeCo-based MOFs were developed over nickel foam (NH2-MIL-101-Fe@NF/NH2-MIL-101-(CoFe)@NF-X) employing a facile process. An overpotential of 376 mV was observed at 100 mA cm−2 for Fe-MOF. The structural modification with the addition of Co for FeCo-MOFs can improve the morphology as well as the electrochemical performance. Among of them, NH2-MIL-101-(CoFe)@NF-2 illuminates an excellent overpotential 329 mV with a small Tafel slope of 50 mV dec−1 at 100 mA cm−2. Its surface roughness facilitates the deep penetration of electrolyte to the internal structure of the electrode. Theoretical calculations confirmed the introduction of Co can reduce the overpotential from 0.68 V to 0.34 V at the rate-determining step (from O∗ to OOH∗). This is a key feature that promotes the electrochemical performance of OER catalysts.

Unveiling active sites in FeOOH nanorods@NiOOH nanosheets heterojunction for superior OER and HER electrocatalysis in water splitting

The development of cost-effective, highly active, and stable electrocatalysts for water splitting to produce green hydrogen is crucial for advancing clean and sustainable energy technologies. Herein, we present an innovative in-situ synthesis of FeOOH nanorods@NiOOH nanosheets on nickel foam (FeOOH@NiOOH/NF) at an unprecedentedly low temperature, resulting in a highly efficient electrocatalyst for overall water splitting. The optimized FeOOH@NiOOH/NF sample, evaluated through time-dependent studies, exhibits exceptional oxygen evolution reaction (OER) performance with a low overpotential of 261 mV at a current density of 20 mA cm−2, alongside outstanding hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) activity with an overpotential of 150 mV at a current density of 10 mA cm−2, demonstrating excellent stability in alkaline solution. The water-splitting device featuring FeOOH@NiOOH/NF-2 electrodes achieves a voltage of 1.59 V at a current density of 10 mA cm−2, rivalling the state-of-the-art RuO2/NF||PtC/NF electrode system. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations unveil the efficient functionality of the Fe sites within the FeOOH@NiOOH heterojunction as the active OER catalyst, while the Ni centres are identified as the active HER sites. The enhanced performance of OER and HER is attributed to the tailored electronic structure at the heterojunction, modified magnetic moments of active sites, and increased electron density in the dx2-y2 orbital of Fe. This work provides critical insights into the rational design of advanced electrocatalysts for efficient water splitting.

Reducing the overpotential of overall water spitting by micro-pump-like electrode engineering

Electrolyzing water for hydrogen generation consumes a significant amount of electricity. Minimizing bubble accumulation on the electrodes can reduce the overpotential, thereby enhancing the efficiency of water electrolysis. In this work, Co1.8Mn1.2S4 as the catalyst for oxygen evolution reaction (OER) was optimized from 54 compounds of oxides and sulfides of Ni, Co, and Mn, then designed a three-dimensional electrode with a pump-like function to expel bubbles from the electrodes. Using laser-assisted curing 3D printing technology, a capillary array with side holes was fabricated and utilized as a support structure for the Co1.8Mn1.2S catalyst. During water electrolysis, the electrolyte enters the interior of the capillary through the side holes, and the bubbles inside the capillary are released from both ends of the capillary. The optimized electrode achieved 10 mA cm−2 at an overpotential of 345 mV during the OER, and reached 100 mA cm−2 at an overpotential of 435 mV. In-situ optical microscopy observations and fluid dynamics simulations demonstrated that bubbles were effectively released through the main outlet of the capillary. In overall water splitting, the current density reached 10 mA cm−2 at 1.646 V, without significant current decay after 60 h continuous operation. The electrode design presented holds promise for broader applications in catalytic reactions, such as CO2 reduction, electrochemical ammonia synthesis, and electrochemical treatment of water pollutants.