An Fe-V@NiO heterostructure electrocatalyst towards the oxygen evolution reaction

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Electrochemistry
• Catalysis

Background:

• Developing efficient, Earth-abundant electrocatalysts for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) is crucial for energy technologies.
• Nonprecious metal-based catalysts are highly sought after to overcome the limitations of noble metal catalysts.

Purpose of the Study:

• To design and synthesize a novel, nonprecious electrocatalyst for enhanced OER performance.
• To investigate the effect of in situ oxidation on the electrocatalytic activity and stability of the proposed material.

Main Methods:

• Facile synthesis of ultrathin NiO nanosheets decorated with Fe-V nanoparticles on nickel foam (Fe-V@NiO/NF).
• Electrochemical characterization of the Fe-V@NiO/NF catalyst for OER.
• In situ oxidation via galvanostatic electrolysis in an alkaline solution.

Main Results:

• The Fe-V@NiO/NF heterostructure exhibited excellent electrocatalytic activity for OER.
• In situ oxidation significantly boosted OER performance, achieving a current density of 50 mA cm⁻² at a low overpotential of 271.1 mV after 10 h.
• Oxidation led to the formation of active α-FeOOH and amorphous (oxy)-hydroxide layers, reducing charge transfer resistance.

Conclusions:

• The developed Fe-V@NiO/NF catalyst is a highly effective and stable electrocatalyst for OER.
• In situ oxidation is a viable strategy to optimize the performance of nonprecious metal electrocatalysts.
• This work provides a promising pathway for designing advanced electrocatalysts for energy conversion applications.