Ni(ii)-based coordination polymers for efficient electrocatalytic oxygen evolution reaction

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Electrochemistry
• Catalysis

Background:

• Efficient and stable electrocatalysts for water oxidation are crucial for energy conversion technologies.
• Developing catalysts from earth-abundant elements is essential for cost-effectiveness and sustainability.
• Existing catalysts often face challenges with stability in harsh alkaline environments.

Purpose of the Study:

• To synthesize and characterize novel alkaline-stable cationic nickel(ii) coordination polymers (Ni-CPs).
• To immobilize iron(iii) into the Ni-CPs structure, forming Fe-immobilized Fe@Ni-CPs.
• To evaluate the performance of the novel Fe@Ni-CPs as electrocatalysts for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) in strong alkaline media.

Main Methods:

• Hydrothermal synthesis of cationic Ni-CPs.
• Incorporation of Fe(iii) into Ni-CPs to form Fe@Ni-CPs.
• Electrochemical evaluation of Fe@Ni-CPs for OER in strong alkaline solution.

Main Results:

• Successfully synthesized alkaline-stable cationic Ni-CPs.
• Achieved stable incorporation of Fe(iii) within the Ni-CPs structure.
• Demonstrated the effectiveness of Fe@Ni-CPs as electrocatalysts for OER in strong alkaline media.

Conclusions:

• Fe@Ni-CPs represent a new class of effective electrocatalysts for OER.
• The developed Ni-based coordination polymers offer a promising pathway for utilizing earth-abundant materials in catalysis.
• The findings contribute to the development of efficient and cost-effective water oxidation electrocatalysts.