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Strong interfacial electronic coupling activates NiFeOOH for alkaline seawater oxidation
Bari Wulan1, Weipeng Zhang1, Nana Chen1
1Energy Research Institute, Shandong Key Laboratory of Clean and Efficient Biomass Energy Conversion and Utilization, Qilu University of Technology (Shandong Academy of Sciences), Jinan 250014, China. bariwulan@qlu.edu.cn.
Chemical Communications (Cambridge, England)
|June 16, 2026
Summary
Gallium-engineered nickel-iron phosphide nanosheets reconstruct into an active phase for efficient alkaline seawater oxygen evolution and durable anion-exchange membrane seawater electrolysis.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Electrochemistry
- Catalysis
Background:
- Developing efficient electrocatalysts for oxygen evolution reaction (OER) and seawater electrolysis is crucial for renewable energy technologies.
- Nickel-iron phosphides are promising OER electrocatalysts but often suffer from limited stability and activity in alkaline media.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the operando reconstruction of Ga-engineered Ni2P/Fe2P nanosheets.
- To elucidate the role of Ga in enhancing the electrocatalytic performance and durability for alkaline seawater electrolysis.
Main Methods:
- Synthesis of Ga-engineered Ni2P/Fe2P nanosheets.
- Operando characterization techniques to study the catalyst reconstruction process.
- Electrochemical measurements for oxygen evolution reaction (OER) and anion-exchange membrane (AEM) seawater electrolysis.
Main Results:
- Ga-engineered Ni2P/Fe2P nanosheets reconstruct into a NiFeOOH-GaOx active phase under operating conditions.
- The presence of Ga promotes p-Ni/Fe d hybridization, enhancing interfacial electronic coupling and charge redistribution.
- The reconstructed catalyst exhibits efficient activity for alkaline seawater OER and stable performance in AEM seawater electrolysis.
Conclusions:
- The operando reconstruction strategy is effective for developing highly active and durable electrocatalysts.
- Ga doping significantly improves the electronic structure and interfacial properties of Ni-Fe based catalysts.
- The Ga-engineered NiFeOOH-GaOx phase shows great potential for practical seawater electrolysis applications.
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