Development of Electrolyzer Using NiCo(OH)₂ Layered Double Hydroxide Catalyst for Efficient Water Oxidation Reaction

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Electrochemistry
• Catalysis

Background:

• Layered double hydroxides (LDH) are extensively studied for their catalytic activity in water splitting.
• Key features like stability and porosity make LDHs effective oxygen evolution reaction (OER) catalysts.

Purpose of the Study:

• To synthesize NiCo(OH)2 LDH and evaluate its electrocatalytic performance for OER.
• To understand the structural and morphological properties influencing the catalyst's activity.

Main Methods:

• Synthesis of NiCo(OH)2 LDH.
• Structural analysis using X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS).
• Electrochemical testing of the fabricated electrode for OER performance.

Main Results:

• The NiCo(OH)2 LDH electrode exhibited a low OER onset potential (265 mV) and high current density (300 mAcm⁻²).
• The catalyst demonstrated excellent stability over 2500 voltametric cycles.
• A small Tafel slope (41 mVdec⁻¹) indicated efficient OER kinetics.

Conclusions:

• NiCo(OH)2 LDH is a highly efficient and stable electrocatalyst for the oxygen evolution reaction.
• The study provides insights into LDH catalyst design for cost-effective and high-performance water splitting applications.