Surface Reconstruction of an FeNi Foam Substrate for Efficient Oxygen Evolution

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Electrochemistry
• Catalysis

Background:

• Electrochemical water splitting requires efficient, stable, and affordable electrocatalysts for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER).
• Conventional methods for fabricating Nickel-Iron layered double hydroxide (NiFe LDH) catalysts on substrates often lead to poor conductivity and detachment issues, limiting their practical application.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop an in situ synthesized NiFe LDH catalyst with enhanced active sites and improved conductivity.
• To create a robust electrode structure for long-term electrochemical water splitting applications.

Main Methods:

• Surface reconstruction strategy utilizing FeNi foam (FNF) as both metal source and substrate.
• Cost-effective etching and drying treatments to form monolithic NiFe LDH nanosheets (NSs) firmly anchored on FNF.
• Investigation of the formation mechanism of NiFe LDH NSs.

Main Results:

• The synthesized NiFe LDH nanosheets on FNF (sr-FNF46) exhibit a synergistic effect between Fe and Ni, enhancing OER catalytic activity.
• Achieved an ultralow overpotential of 283 mV at a current density of 100 mA cm⁻² for OER in 1 M KOH.
• Demonstrated excellent long-term stability for the electrocatalyst.

Conclusions:

• The in situ autologous NiFe LDH synthesized via surface reconstruction offers a promising alternative to conventional electrode fabrication.
• The developed electrode material exhibits high performance and stability, holding significant potential for electrocatalytic water splitting applications.