Fluorine-doped induced crystal/amorphous heterojunctions in CoFe-based nanolayers for high-performance alkaline
Man-Man Li1, Li Yuan1, Kai-Xin Gan1
1State Key Laboratory of Heavy Oil Processing, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, China University of Petroleum (East China), Qingdao 266580, PR China.
Journal of Colloid and Interface Science
|April 3, 2026
Summary
This study introduces a new F-doped CoFe-based catalyst synthesized using molten salt and fluoride methods. The catalyst shows excellent oxygen evolution reaction (OER) performance and stability, overcoming iron leaching issues.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Electrochemistry
- Catalysis
Background:
- Cobalt-iron (CoFe)-based electrocatalysts are crucial for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER).
- Key challenges include sluggish kinetics and iron leaching, limiting catalyst stability and performance.
- Developing robust and efficient OER electrocatalysts is vital for energy conversion technologies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To engineer a novel F-doped CoFe-based nanosheet catalyst (Fe,F-CoNH) with enhanced OER activity and stability.
- To address the limitations of sluggish kinetics and iron leaching in CoFe-based OER electrocatalysts.
- To investigate the synergistic effects of molten salt synthesis and fluoride calcination on catalyst performance.
Main Methods:
- Synergistic strategy combining molten salt synthesis and fluoride calcination.
- Fabrication of F-doped CoFe-based nanosheets (Fe,F-CoNH).
- Electrochemical characterization using three-electrode systems and anion exchange membrane water electrolyzers (AEMWEs).
Main Results:
- Optimized Fe,F-CoNH catalyst achieved an overpotential of 241 mV at 100 mA cm⁻² for OER.
- Exceptional stability demonstrated for 100 hours at 1 A cm⁻² in both configurations.
- F-doping induced defect-rich interfaces and modulated electronic structures, optimizing adsorption energies.
- Robust metal-fluoride bonds effectively suppressed iron leaching.
Conclusions:
- The molten salt-fluoride strategy is effective for creating high-performance and stable OER electrocatalysts.
- F-doping significantly enhances OER kinetics and suppresses Fe leaching in CoFe-based materials.
- The developed Fe,F-CoNH catalyst shows great promise for practical applications in water electrolysis.
