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Updated: Feb 20, 2026

Author Spotlight: Magnetometric Characterization of Intermediates in the Solid-State Electrochemistry of Redox-Active Metal-Organic Frameworks
Published on: June 9, 2023
Ni-site local magnetism regulated via intrinsic exchange in NiFeCo electrocatalysts
Hanyang Zhao1, Jican Hao1, Shaoda Huang2
1The Materials and Electronics Research Center (MERC), School of Materials Science and Engineering, Changzhou University, Changzhou 213164, China.
Abstract:
Water electrolysis is limited by the oxygen evolution reaction (OER). External magnetic fields can tune spin polarization but add power use and system complexity. Here, we present an external magnetic field-free strategy that exploits intrinsic exchange interactions to regulate Ni active-site magnetism. Ferromagnetic Ni1Fe1Co1 nanoparticles on electrospun carbon nanofibers (Ni1Fe1Co1/CNFs) serve as a model. The ferromagnetism enhancement correlates with higher OER activity. Compared with Ni1Fe2/CNFs, Ni1Co2/CNFs, and Ni/CNFs, Ni1Fe1Co1/CNFs with strongest ferromagnetism delivers the lowest overpotential of 155 ± 2.0 mV at 10 mA cm-2 in alkaline media. Mechanistically, FeCo phase-derived intrinsic exchange reshapes Ni-site ferromagnetism and spin-state density, lowering the reaction barrier of the rate-determining step of *OOH formation. This work establishes a link between intrinsic ferromagnetism and OER kinetics in multimetal systems and offers a blueprint for designing high-performance ferromagnetic catalysts without external magnetic field.
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