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Coupled Synergistic Pathway of FeOOH/CeF3 Heterojunction Toward High-Current-Density and Durable Oxygen Evolution
1Ningxia Key Laboratory of Green Catalytic Materials and Technology, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Ningxia Normal University, Guyuan, Ningxia, China.
Small (Weinheim an Der Bergstrasse, Germany)
|July 23, 2026
Summary
This study introduces a novel FeOOH/CeF3 catalyst that overcomes the activity-stability trade-off in oxygen evolution reactions (OER). The catalyst achieves high efficiency and durability for sustainable energy applications.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Electrochemistry
- Catalysis
Background:
- Designing electrocatalysts for oxygen evolution reaction (OER) faces challenges due to activity-stability trade-offs.
- Linear scaling relationships and oxygen vacancies hinder catalyst performance.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a FeOOH/CeF3 heterojunction catalyst to overcome OER activity-stability limitations.
- To leverage interfacial effects for enhanced electron transfer and catalyst stability.
Main Methods:
- Fabrication of a FeOOH/CeF3 heterojunction on nickel foam.
- Utilizing Ce3+/Ce4+ redox couples and fluorine's electronegativity to tune electronic properties.
- In situ characterization to study reaction mechanisms.
Main Results:
- The FeOOH/CeF3 catalyst demonstrated enhanced Fe-O bond covalency and lattice stability.
- Synergistic coupling of adsorbate evolution and lattice oxygen mechanisms was observed.
- Achieved low overpotentials (194 mV at 10 mA cm-2) and sustained operation (>200 h at 500 mA cm-2).
Conclusions:
- The heterostructure design effectively addresses the OER activity-stability trade-off.
- This approach offers a promising strategy for high-performance electrocatalysts.
- Dual-mechanism coupling is key to achieving superior OER performance.
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