FeOOH Nanorods Research Articles

Nanoscale Multipatterning Zn,Co-ZIF@FeOOH for Eradication of Multidrug-Resistant Bacteria and Antibacterial Treatment of Wounds.

The rising incidence of infections caused by multidrug-resistant bacteria highlights the urgent need for innovative bacterial eradication strategies. Metal ions, such as Zn2+ and Co2+, have bactericidal effects by disrupting bacterial cell membranes and interfering with essential cellular processes. This has led to increased attention toward metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) as potential nonantibiotic bactericidal agents. However, the uniform and enhanced localized release of bactericidal metal ions remains a challenge. Herein, we introduce a nanoscale multipatterned Zn,Co-ZIF@FeOOH, featuring a multipod-like morphology with spiky corners, and dual-bactericidal metal ions. Compared to pure Zn,Co-ZIF, the multipod-like morphology of Zn,Co-ZIF@FeOOH exhibits enhanced adhesion toward bacterial surfaces via topological and multiple interactions of electrostatic interaction, significantly increasing the local release of Zn2+ and Co2+. Additionally, the spiky corners of the spindle-shaped FeOOH nanorods physically penetrate bacterial membranes, causing damage and further enhancing adhesion to bacteria. Nine Gram-negative and one Gram-positive bacteria were selected for in vitro test. Notably, the nanoscale multipatterned Zn,Co-ZIF@FeOOH exhibited high bactericidal efficacy against various multidrug-resistant bacteria, including extended-spectrum β-lactamase-producing (ESBL+) bacteria and carbapenem-resistant bacteria, performing well in both acidic and neutral environments. The wound healing activity of Zn,Co-ZIF@FeOOH was further demonstrated using female Balb/c mouse models infected with bacteria, where the materials show robust antibacterial efficacy and commendable biocompatibility. This study showcases the assembly of metal oxide/MOF composites for nanoscale multipatterning, aims at synergistic bacterial eradication and offers insights into developing nanomaterial-based strategies against multidrug-resistant bacteria.

Low temperature coupled oxidative/adsorptive desulfurization catalyzed by FeOOH/rGO nanocomposite

Abstract Desulfurization of fossil fuel products has grabbed increased attention, where many research themes focus on the synthesis of novel materials with enhanced desulfurization potentialities, at a reasonable cost, and within a shorter working time. So, in this work, we synthesized ultrathin FeOOH nanorods and then anchored them over reduced graphene oxide (FeOOH/rGO nanocomposite) to act as catalyst/adsorbent system during in situ oxidative/adsorptive desulfurization of diesel fuel model. The XRD, FTIR and Raman analyses demonstrated the successful combination of the FeOOH with the rGO surface. The BET surface area of the FeOOH/rGO was enhanced by 2.2 folds compared to the parent FeOOH, with pore volume ~0.268 cc/g. TEM investigation proved the FeOOH-rGO conjugation. The catalytic processes were carried out in association with H2O2 as an oxidizing element in different conditions. FeOOH showed a high adsorption capacity of ~960 mg/g, and obeyed pseudo-second order kinetic confirming chemisorption nature, while the process Ea recorded about ~85.4 kJ/mol. On the other hand, FeOOH/rGO system achieved ultra-high adsorption capacity of ~989 mg/g with high removal efficiency (98.9%), which assumed FeOOH/rGO as a highly potential catalyst/adsorbent system for ultra desulfurization process.

Fabrication of omniphobic PVDF membrane with SiO2–FeOOH hierarchical structures for robust membrane distillation

Omniphobic membrane has been demonstrated as an effective strategy to mitigate membrane wetting and fouling risks in membrane distillation (MD) processes. In this work, novel omniphobic membranes with hierarchical re-entrant surface structure were fabricated. Firstly, the FeOOH nanorods were deposited on the polydopamine (PDA) pre-treated poly (vinylidene fluoride) PVDF membrane. After that, the SiO2 nanoparticles (NPs) were coated on the FeOOH nanorods via electrostatic attraction to form hierarchical structures. Finally, the fluorosilane was utilized to reduce the membrane surface free energy, contributing to PVDF based omniphobic membranes. The effects of reaction time, FeCl3·6H2O and SiO2 NPs concentrations on membrane properties, including membrane surface morphology, average pore size, contact angles (CAs), surface roughness and permeate flux, were investigated in detail. The resulting omniphobic membranes showed high CAs towards various tested liquids, such as 0.4 mM sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) solution (143.9 ± 0.8°), hexadecane (113.5 ± 3.2°) and mineral oil (132.5 ± 2.8°). This membrane exhibited outstanding performance in a continuous 50-h vacuum membrane distillation (VMD) process with a 10 wt% NaCl feed solution. Besides, the anti-oil-fouling properties were further assessed with a feed solution containing 200-ppm hexadecane and 3.5-wt% NaCl, the omniphobic membrane exhibited steady permeate flux of above 24.18 kg m−2 h−1 and a 99.99 % rejection rate during 50-h testing. Finally, the omniphobic membrane showed high anti-wetting properties by SDS/salt solution. This work introduces a new strategy for fabricating omniphobic membranes that shows significant potential for treating complex industrial wastewaters.

High Tribocatalytic Performance of FeOOH Nanorods for Degrading Organic Dyes and Antibiotics.

Tribocatalysis is vitally important for electrochemistry, energy conservation, and water treatment. Exploring eco-friendly and low-cost tribocatalysts with high performance is crucial for practical applications. Here, the highly efficient tribocatalytic performance of FeOOH nanorods is reported. The factors related to the tribocatalytic activity such as nanorod diameter, surface area, and surface roughness are investigated, and the diameter of the FeOOH nanorods is found to have a significant effect on their tribocatalytic performance. As a result, under ultrasonic excitation, the optimized FeOOH nanorods exhibit superior tribocatalytic degradation toward rhodamine B (RhB), acid orange 7, methylene blue, methyl orange dyes, and their mixture. The RhB and mixed dyes are effectively degraded within 20min (k = 0.179 min-1 ) and 35min (k = 0.089 min-1 ), respectively, with the FeOOH nanorods showing excellent reusability. Moreover, antibiotics, such as tetracycline hydrochloride, phenol, and bisphenol A are efficiently degraded. Investigation of the catalytic mechanism reveals that the friction-generated h+ as well as these yielded •OH and •O2 - active radicals participate in the catalytic reaction. This work not only shed light on the design of high-performance tribocatalyst but also demonstrates that by harvesting mechanical energy, the FeOOH nanorods are promising materials for removing organic contaminants in wastewater.

La-doped Porous Fe2O3 Nanorods as Advanced Anodes for Lithium/Sodium Ion Batteries and Sulfur Host for Li-Sulfur Batteries.

Transition metal oxides are investigated as electrochemically active anodes for several years due to the merits of high specific capacity, low cost, abundant resources and controllable synthesis. But the poor cycle performances have hindered their further wide application. Herein, porous La-doped FeOOH nanorods have been synthesized through a facile hydrothermal method, which could be transformed into porous La-doped Fe2O3 (Fe2O3-La) via a simple heating process. Compared with the undoped Fe2O3, the Fe2O3-La showed larger surface area, higher specific capacities and more stable cycle performances for lithium/sodium ion batteries. In addition, as an advanced sulfur host for lithium-sulfur batteries, the Fe2O3-La also displayed much more excellent cycle and rate performances than the undoped Fe2O3. The superior electrochemical performances of the Fe2O3-La may could be attributed to the doping of La, which could induce more porous morphology and offer more reactive sites. The positive effects of La-doping for electrochemical performances of porous Fe2O3 nanorods provide novel insights for further applications of rare earth metal doping.

Multifunctional Iron Selenate Sheath of Fe-Based Anode Achieving High-Rate Capacity-Durability Combination of Aqueous Hybrid Energy Storage Devices.

The introduction of battery-type cathode has been commonly considered a preferred approach to boost the energy density of aqueous hybrid energy storage devices (AHESDs) in alkalic systems, but AHESDs with both high energy density and power density are rare due to the great challenge in designing battery-type anode materials with high rate and durability comparable to capacitive-type carbon anodes. In this paper, a well-hydrated iron selenate (FeSeO) sheath is constructed around FeOOH nanorods by a facile electrochemical activation, demonstrating the unique multifunction in fasting charge diffusion, promoting the dissociation of H2O, and inhibiting the irreversible phase transition of FeOOH to inert γ-Fe2O3, which endow the hydrated sheath coated Fe-based anodes with an impressive rate capability and superior durability. Thanks to the comprehensive performance of this Fe-based anode, the assembled AHESD delivered a high energy density of 117Whkg-1 with the extraordinary durability of almost 100% capacity retention after 40000 cycles. Even at an ultrahigh power density of 27000Wkg-1, an impressive energy density of 65Whkg-1 can be achieved, which rivals previously reported energy-storage devices.

Inducing hollow and porous hematite nanorod photoanodes by rare earth and transition metal doping for enhanced solar water splitting

A hollow and porous Eu,Nb : Fe2O3 nanorod photoanode was fabricated by hybrid microwave annealing (HMA) induced conversion of shell Eu- and core Nb-doped FeOOH nanorods, simultaneously enhancing photocurrent density and reducing turn-on voltage.

Macroscopic Spontaneous Piezopolarization and Oxygen-Vacancy Coupled Robust NaNbO3/FeOOH Heterojunction for Pharmaceutical Drug Degradation and O2 Evolution: Combined Experimental and Theoretical Study.

Prompt recombination of photoproduced charges in bulk and surface of a photocatalyst significantly impedes catalytic efficiency. To address these challenges, FeOOH nanorods (NRs) anchored NaNbO3 (NNO) piezoelectric microcubes (MCs) have been fabricated for ciprofloxacin (CIP) degradation and oxygen evolution through water splitting by coupling macroscopic spontaneous piezoelectric polarization and a built-in electric field. The local electric field induced by surface oxygen vacancies (Ovs) and orientation of FeOOH NRs over NNO MCs afford the polarization electric field a significant boost, driving the quick separation/migration of charge carriers from bulk to the surface. The polarized NNO/FeOOH composite with ample Ovs demonstrates an outstanding piezophotocatalytic CIP degradation of 93% in 1 h, higher than pristine materials (NNO and FeOOH), and a high O2 evolution rate of 1155 μmol h-1. The effect of piezoelectric polarization on the catalytic activity is supplemented by theoretical simulations. This work offers an avenue for selective pollutant remediation and water splitting through the rational design of piezoelectric polarization-mediated heterostructure systems with surface Ovs.

Rational design of sea urchin-like FeOOH anchored hollow carbon spheres as chloride-insertion electrodes for efficient faradic capacitive deionization

Faradic capacitive deionization (FDI) is one of the most promising branches of capacitive deionization (CDI) to relieve global water stress. However, the problems of slow desalination kinetics and poor cycle stability of the anode of FDI have greatly restricted the development of its practical applications. Herein, we put forward a strategy of employing hollow carbon spheres (HCSs) with high specific surface area, and good electrical conductivity/stability as the structural backbone and further decorated it with FeOOH nanorod to construct a 3D sea urchin-like structure (HCSs@FeOOH) as the anode for FDI. Notably, the essence of this design is the structural backbone (HCSs) could not only prevent the structural agglomeration between FeOOH but also provide good electric conductivity to the material system to realize superior pseudo-capacitance. As a result, the HCSs@FeOOH-based FDI system displays excellent desalination performance (desalination capacity and rate up to 69.48 mg g−1 and 0.37 mg g−1 s−1) with good durability (only 14.32 % desalination capacity decrease over 100 cycles), respectively.

Electrosorption of uranium (VI) by sulfonic acid‑decorated FeOOH nanorods

The capacitive deionization (CDI) technology for the removal of U(VI) has been the focus of attention because of its superiorities in operation cost, energy consumption, and environmental friendliness. In this report, electrode materials based on sulfonic acid‑decorated FeOOH were applied to CDI and flow electrode capacitive deionization (FCDI) for the first time. The sulfonic acid‑decorated FeOOH nanorods presented a high electrosorption capability of U(VI) in the CDI system (709.4 mg g−1 at 1.2 V and pH = 4.0, based on Langmuir model), which may result from the coordinative surfaces as well as the mesoporous structures of FeOOH. The thermodynamic and kinetic behaviors of the electrosorption process can be well-fitted using the Freundlich and pseudo-second-order model. The effective electrosorption in the presence of Na+ competitive ions and recycling of adsorbents in the CDI system further demonstrated the potential application of sulfonic acid‑decorated FeOOH nanorods for the electrosorptive removal of U(VI) from radioactive wastewater. The electrosorption mechanism was determined to be a combined process that is composed of diffusion of the uranyl ions into the EDL and adsorption onto the surface of FeOOH via the coordination interaction from Fe-OH and sulfonic acid groups (-SO3H). Further, continuous FCDI batch experiments in low concentration of feed water (60 mg L− 1 U) show that removal efficiency of U remained over 99% in 10 times continuous cycles, endowing it more possibilities for capacitive deionization from research to practical application.

A novel synthesis of hollow Fe3O4 nanorods with a high saturation magnetization

A novel approach combined Stӧber method with the hydrothermal method was developed for the synthesis of hollow Fe3O4 nanorods by using SiO2 as the template and FeOOH nanorods as the precursor. The investigation of the reaction process confirmed that, as the SiO2 outer layer was gradually dissolved and partially nitrided to Si3N4 in an alkaline hydrazine solution, FeOOH was converted to Fe3O4, resulting in a regular rod-shaped morphology with a hollow structure. The prepared hollow Fe3O4 nanorods had an average length of 430 nm and an average width of 110 nm, and exhibited a high saturation magnetization of 81.6 emu g−1.

Rational design of artificial Lewis pairs coupling with polyethylene glycol for efficient electrochemical ammonia synthesis

Ammonia (NH3) synthesis at mild conditions by electrocatalytic nitrogen reduction (eNRR) has received more attention and has been regarded as a promising alternative to the traditional Haber–Bosch process. Lewis acid-base pairs (LPs) can chemisorb and react with nitrogen by electronic interaction, while the tuning of the microenvironment near electrode can hinder hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) thus improving the selectivity of the eNRR. Herein, the FeOOH nanorod coupled with LPs on the surface (i.e., Fe, Fe–O) was synthesized, which could effectively drive eNRR. Meanwhile, polyethylene glycol (PEG) was introduced to serve as a local non-aqueous electrolyte system to inhibit HER. The prepared FeOOH-150 catalyst achieved outstanding eNRR performance with an NH3 yield rate of 118.07 μg h−1mgcat−1 and a Faradaic efficiency of 51.4 % at −0.6 V vs. RHE in 0.1 M LiClO4 + 20 % PEG. Both the experiment and DFT calculations revealed that the interaction of PEG with Lewis base sites could optimize nitrogen adsorption configuration and activation.

Modulating the coadsoption of hydroxyl and nitrogenous groups induced by Ni and Cu doping on FeOOH for accelerating dehydrogenation in the ammonia oxidation reaction

Owing to its high hydrogen content and carbon-free nature, ammonia is a promising energy carrier used in powering fuel cells and an alternative oxidation substrate to water in electrolytic hydrogen production devices. However, the insufficient mechanistic understanding and the lack of inexpensive and efficient catalysts for the ammonia electro-oxidation reaction (AOR) have hampered the development of the ammonia-based energy system. In this work, novel Ni and Cu co-doped porous FeOOH nanorods (NiCu-FeOOH) synthesized by a light-induced chemical precipitation method can serve as the AOR catalyst with efficient catalytic activity (1.41 V at an anodic current density of 10 mA cm−2) and enhanced stability in an aqueous ammonia solution. According to the experimental data and theoretical calculation results, the synergistic effect of heterogeneous Ni and Cu atoms makes Ni and Fe sites on the surface of NiCu-FeOOH exhibit a suitable electronic structure to coadsorb nitrogenous intermediates and hydroxyl groups at the top of the volcano plot and thereby accelerate dehydrogenation in the AOR. The backward shift of the rate-determining step (RDS) (⋆NH2 + ⋆OH formation step shifts to ⋆N2H3 + ⋆OH formation step) and the lower energy barrier of the RDS (0.86 eV) reveal that the Ni and Cu co-doping makes FeOOH crystals active for the AOR. The coadsorption reaction pathway involved in nitrogenous intermediates and hydroxyl groups has been in-novatively proposed to effectively describe and simulate the AOR process, which opens a new horizon to design low-cost and stable AOR catalysts.

Advanced sustainable solid state energy storage devices based on FeOOH nanorod loaded carbon@PANI electrode: GCD cycling and TEM correlation

A cost-effective, environment-friendly polyaniline-wrapped activated carbon-FeOOH ternary composite electrode is developed by two steps facile method for the efficient and sustainable energy storage device. The HR-TEM analysis before and after cyclic stability (20 k cycles of charging-discharging) shows electrode structural stability and potentiality as an energy storage device. The ternary composite utilizes polyaniline (PANI) maximum, which reflects an increase in voltage window, and electrochemical performance. The voltammetry (cyclic) and galvanostatic charge-discharge (GCD) examination display specific capacitance of 213 F g−1 at 10 mV s−1 and 234 F g−1 at 2 mA sec−1 for 20 wt%. The drastic variation through EIS (electrochemical impedance spectroscopy) in equivalent series resistance is seen by the nyquist plot before and after cycling. The specific capacitance is 234.5 F g−1 at 1 Ag−1 for 20 wt% PANI composite. The energy(Ed) and power density (Pd) of the device are 45 W h kg−1 and 5997 W kg−1 at 2 mA and 20 mA, respectively. The fabricated device shows very advanced capacity retention of up to 89% and coulombic efficiency of 100% till the last 20 k cycles with a stable potential window. The fabricated device can glow LED panels (consisting of 26 LEDs) for up to 5.30 min. The device retention profile and stable potential window show its advanced structural stability up to commercial-scale cycling, which signifies the additional role of PANI. The HR-TEM and electrochemical results after cyclic stability are in correlation.

Engineering Z-Scheme FeOOH/PCN with Fast Photoelectron Transfer and Surface Redox Kinetics for Efficient Solar-Driven CO2 Reduction

Solar-driven conversion of carbon dioxide (CO2) without sacrificial agents offers an attractive alternative in sustainable energy research; nevertheless, it is often retarded by the sluggish water oxidation kinetics and severe charge recombination. To this end, a Z-scheme iron oxyhydroxide/polymeric carbon nitride (FeOOH/PCN) heterojunction, as identified by quasi in situ X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, is constructed. In this heterostructure, the two-dimensional FeOOH nanorod provides rich coordinatively unsaturated sites and highly oxidative photoinduced holes to boost the sluggish water decomposition kinetics. Meanwhile, PCN acts as a robust agent for CO2 reduction. Consequently, FeOOH/PCN achieves efficient CO2 photoreduction with a superior selectivity of CH4 (>85%), together with an apparent quantum efficiency of 2.4% at 420 nm that outperforms most two-step photosystems to date. This work offers an innovative strategy for the construction of photocatalytic systems toward solar fuel production.

Fluoroalkylsilane grafted FeOOH nanorods impregnated PVDF-co-HFP membranes with enhanced wetting and fouling resistance for direct contact membrane distillation

Direct contact membrane distillation (DCMD) is a versatile thermal-driven membrane separation technique that can be used for seawater distillation and water recovery. Initially, the central composite design was used to optimize the concentration/molecular weight of pore former and operating feed/permeate flow rates. Further, a dual modification strategy was used to fabricate robust hydrophobic polyvinylidene fluoride-co-hexafluoropropylene (PVDF-co-HFP) membranes- (i) incorporation of fluoroalkylsilane (FAS) grafted FeOOH nanorods (F-g-FeOOH) into the membrane and (ii) surface coating of the membrane with FAS. The membrane with 0.015 wt% FeOOH nanorods (M2) displayed the highest water contact angle (132 ± 1.6ᵒ) with more than 99.98% salt rejection for 10,000 ppm NaCl solution (ΔT= 60 ℃ & feed/permeate flow rate = 20 L/h). The M2 membrane exhibited stable performance, and no pore wetting could be observed even when the feed contained polyhydric alcohol (5 wt% propylene glycol) or surfactant (80 ppm sodium dodecyl sulfate). The M2 membrane also displayed a stable permeate flux of 3.5 L/m2h and a total organic carbon rejection > 96% for up to 12 h for a saline feed (10,000 ppm NaCl) containing hexadecane/water emulsion (100 ppm oil). The prepared membranes were also determined to be suitable for long-term seawater desalination and exhibited a stable permeate flux of 10 L/m2h for 60 h with permeate conductivity < 5 µS/cm. The facile fabrication strategy holds the potential to be further explored to prepare membranes with excellent anti-wetting and anti-fouling properties.

New dual-anions FeS0.5Se0.5@NC porous nanorods as advanced electrode materials for wide-temperature sodium-ion half/full batteries

The new N-doped carbon wrapped porous FeS0.5Se0.5 nanorods (FeS0.5Se0.5@NC) have been rationally designed using the FeOOH nanorod as a reaction template, poly-dopamine as the carbon source, combined with the subsequent sulfuration and selenization process. Due to the cooperative effect of dual-anion guided heterostructure, and the effective protection of highly conductive and uniform N-doped carbon layer, the FeS0.5Se0.5@NC as the new anode materials for room-temperature sodium ion batteries demonstrates remarkable sodium storage properties. When the current density is 0.5 A g−1, the FeS0.5Se0.5@NC can deliver a satisfied specific capacity of 522.8 mAh g−1 over 100 loops. Even at 5 A g−1, it still shows outstanding long-period cycling stability (450 mAh g−1 for 220 cycles). It also displays prominent rate capability (242.65 mAh g−1 at 20 A g−1). Even at a low temperature, the FeS0.5Se0.5@NC still shows good sodium storage properties. Except for the half-cells, the full cells also exhibit good electrochemical performances. Furthermore, various kinetic analysis and reaction mechanism of FeS0.5Se0.5@NC are investigated to analyze the excellent sodium storage properties. The synthesis strategy of FeS0.5Se0.5@NC can be adopted to prepare the other kinds of double anionic metal chalcogenides anode materials to explore the potential applications in different energy storage fields.

Enhanced Luminol Chemiluminescence with Oxidase-like Properties of FeOOH Nanorods for the Sensitive Detection of Uric Acid.

FeOOH nanorods, as one-dimensional nanomaterials, have been widely used in many fields due to their stable properties, low cost, and easy synthesis, but their application in the field of chemiluminescence (CL) is rarely reported. In this work, FeOOH nanorods were synthesized by a simple and environmentally friendly one-pot hydrothermal method and used for the first time as a catalyst for generating strong CL with luminol without additional oxidant. Remarkably, luminol-FeOOH exhibits about 250 times stronger CL than the luminol-H2O2 system. Its CL intensity was significantly quenched by uric acid. We established a simple, rapid, sensitive, and selective CL method for the detection of uric acid with a linear range of 20-1000 nM and a detection limit of 6.3 nM (S/N = 3). In addition, we successfully applied this method to the detection of uric acid in human serum, and the standard recoveries were 95.6-106.4%.

Amorphous MnO2-Modified FeOOH Ternary Composite with High Pseudocapacitance As Anode for Lithium-Ion Batteries

The development of high-capacity anodes that are stable at high rates is of immediate interest as a potential alternative to the commercial graphite anode in lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). Conversion-based transition metal oxides, known for their high theoretical capacities, have been extensively studied in this regard. In this work, a ternary FeOOH-rGO-MnO2 composite has been suitably designed to address the limitations of the bare FeOOH anode arising from poor conductivity and volume expansion. A simple low-temperature synthesis method was employed to obtain a uniform distribution of FeOOH nanorods over the rGO matrix, which was further modified with a buffer layer of amorphous MnO2 nanosheets. While cycling at high rates, the modified composite anode delivered capacities of 956, 842, and 688 mAh g–1 at 1, 2, and 5 A g–1, respectively, for 200 cycles along with a cycling stability of 900 mAh g–1 at 1 A g–1 for 100 cycles. Various electrochemical techniques were used to analyze the superior performance of the ternary composite anode. The carbon matrix effectively provides favorable pathways for electron conduction and aids in the stable SEI formation, while the amorphous MnO2 sustains the structural integrity of the electrode by controlling volume expansion. Further, the exceptional stability of the anode at high rates was attributed to the marked increase in capacitive contribution in the FeOOH-rGO-MnO2 ternary composite anode, paving the way for faster electrode kinetics.

Ni, Co, and Yb Cation Co-doping and Defect Engineering of FeOOH Nanorods as an Electrocatalyst for the Oxygen Evolution Reaction.

Electrocatalytic water splitting is a feasible technology that can produce hydrogen from renewable sources. The oxygen evolution reaction (OER), which has a slower kinetics and higher overpotential than the hydrogen evolution reaction, is the bottleneck that limits the overall water splitting. It is essential to develop efficient OER catalysts to reduce the anode overpotential. Herein, Ni,Co,Yb-FeOOH nanorod arrays grown directly on a carbon cloth are synthesized by a simple one-step hydrothermal method. The doped Ni2+ and Co2+ can occupy Fe2+ and Fe3+ sites in FeOOH, increasing the concentration of oxygen vacancies (VO), and the doped Yb3+ with a larger ionic radius can occupy the interstitial sites, which leads to more edge dislocations. VO and edge dislocations greatly enrich the active sites in FeOOH/CC. In addition, density functional theory calculations confirm that doping of Ni2+, Co2+, and Yb3+ modulates the electronic structure of the main active Fe sites, bringing its d-band center closer to the Fermi level and reducing the Gibbs free energy change of the rate-determining step of the OER. When the current density reaches 10 mA cm-2, the overpotential of Ni,Co,Yb-FeOOH/CC is only 230.9 mV, and the Tafel slope is 22.7 mV dec-1. In particular, a mechanism of multi-cation doping synergistic interaction with the oxygen vacancy and edge dislocation to enhance the OER catalytic activity of the material is proposed.