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Hierarchical Heterogeneous NiFe Layered Double Hydroxides for Efficient Solar-Powered Water Oxidation
Deok Ki Cho1, Bingyi Yan1,2, So Jeong Park1
1Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Republic of Korea.
ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces
|September 7, 2023
Summary
This study developed a novel nickel-iron layered double hydroxide (LDH) catalyst for efficient water electrolysis. The new catalyst shows high activity and stability, advancing sustainable hydrogen production.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Electrochemistry
- Renewable Energy
Background:
- Developing efficient, stable, and cost-effective electrocatalysts is crucial for industrial hydrogen production via water electrolysis.
- Nonprecious layered double hydroxides (LDHs) are promising candidates for oxygen evolution reaction (OER) electrocatalysts.
- Current OER catalysts often face challenges in activity, stability, and cost for large-scale applications.
Purpose of the Study:
- To synthesize a hierarchical heterogeneous Ni2+Fe3+@Ni2+Fe2+ LDH electrocatalyst.
- To investigate the structural and catalytic properties of the novel LDH material for OER.
- To evaluate the performance of the LDH catalyst in overall water splitting and solar-driven hydrogen production.
Main Methods:
- Sequential electrodeposition using separate electrolytes with different iron valence states (Fe2+, Fe3+).
- Characterization of the synthesized hierarchical heterogeneous Ni2+Fe3+@Ni2+Fe2+ LDH.
- Electrochemical testing for OER activity and stability, including measurements of overpotentials and current densities.
- Integration of the catalyst into an electrolyzer for overall water splitting and a solar-powered system.
Main Results:
- The hierarchical Ni2+Fe3+@Ni2+Fe2+ LDH exhibited excellent OER activity, requiring overpotentials of 218 mV and 265 mV for current densities of 10 and 100 mA cm-2, respectively.
- The catalyst demonstrated robust long-term stability, maintaining performance for 30 hours even at a high current density of 500 mA cm-2.
- An overall water splitting electrolyzer utilizing Sn4P3/CoP2 as a cathode achieved a low cell voltage of 1.55 V at 10 mA cm-2.
- A solar-powered overall water splitting system incorporating the electrolyzer and a perovskite/Si tandem solar cell reached a solar-to-hydrogen conversion efficiency of 15.3%.
Conclusions:
- The hierarchical heterogeneous Ni2+Fe3+@Ni2+Fe2+ LDH is a highly active and stable electrocatalyst for the oxygen evolution reaction.
- The developed LDH material shows significant potential for efficient hydrogen production through water electrolysis.
- The high solar-to-hydrogen conversion efficiency achieved in the integrated system highlights the viability of solar-driven water splitting for sustainable hydrogen generation.
