Amorphous CoFe Double Hydroxides Decorated with N-Doped CNTs for Efficient Electrochemical Oxygen Evolution

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Electrochemistry
• Nanotechnology

Background:

• Industrial hydrogen production via water electrolysis requires efficient and affordable electrocatalysts for oxygen evolution.
• Amorphous nanocomposites show promise due to their unique structures and superior electrocatalytic activity.

Purpose of the Study:

• To synthesize and characterize a novel nanostructured material for enhanced oxygen evolution reaction (OER) electrocatalysis.
• To investigate the synergistic effects of amorphous cobalt-iron double hydroxides (Am-CFDH) and nitrogen-doped carbon nanotubes (NCNTs) for OER.

Main Methods:

• A facile one-pot synthesis approach at room temperature was employed to create Am-CFDH decorated with NCNTs.
• Electrochemical measurements, including overpotential and Tafel slope analysis, were used to evaluate OER activity and durability.

Main Results:

• The synthesized Am-CFDH/NCNTs hybrid exhibited advanced OER activity with a low overpotential of 270 mV at 10 mA cm⁻² and a Tafel slope of 56.88 mV dec⁻¹.
• The material demonstrated favorable durability exceeding 20 hours in an alkaline medium.
• The amorphous nature and synergistic interaction between Am-CFDH and NCNTs contributed to enhanced catalytic performance.

Conclusions:

• The Am-CFDH/NCNTs hybrid is a highly active and durable electrocatalyst for the oxygen evolution reaction.
• This nanostructured material offers a promising pathway for the industrial production of hydrogen through water electrolysis.