Boosting oxygen evolution reaction activity with Mo incorporated NiFe-LDH electrocatalyst for efficient water...

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Electrochemistry
• Catalysis

Background:

• Developing efficient electrocatalysts is crucial for alkaline water electrolysis.
• Nickel-iron layered double hydroxides (NiFe-LDH) show promise but require optimization for enhanced activity.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a scalable, binder-free Mo-doped NiFe-LDH electrocatalyst for oxygen evolution reaction (OER).
• To investigate the role of Mo incorporation in enhancing OER catalytic activity.
• To evaluate the performance of the developed catalyst in alkaline water electrolysis.

Main Methods:

• Binder-free direct growth of Mo-doped NiFe-LDH on a nickel substrate via electrodeposition at room temperature.
• Characterization of the 3D nanosheet array morphology and electrochemical properties.
• In situ single cell testing for alkaline water electrolysis at elevated temperature (80 °C).

Main Results:

• The Mo-doped NiFe-LDH exhibited a low OER overpotential of 230 mV at 30 mA cm⁻² in 1 M KOH.
• The optimized electrode achieved a cell voltage of 1.80 V at 400 mA cm⁻² in a laboratory-scale alkaline water electrolysis system.
• Demonstrated excellent long-term durability over 24 hours of operation.

Conclusions:

• Mo incorporation effectively regulates the OER catalytic activity of NiFe-LDH.
• The developed binder-free Mo-doped NiFe-LDH is a highly efficient electrocatalyst for alkaline water electrolysis.
• This methodology offers a promising pathway for designing advanced electrode materials for commercial-scale water splitting.