Issue 4, 2018

Scalable one-step electrochemical deposition of nanoporous amorphous S-doped NiFe2O4/Ni3Fe composite films as highly efficient electrocatalysts for oxygen evolution with ultrahigh stability

Abstract

The rational design of noble metal-free electrocatalysts that are highly active, robustly stable, and capable of delivering large current densities (>500 mA cm−2) at low applied potentials (<300 mV), in particular for oxygen evolution reaction (OER), is critical for practical use in electro-driven water-splitting devices. Herein, we report a facile scalable and one-step electrochemical deposition approach for the development of a self-supported 3D nanoporous S-doped amorphous NiFe2O4/Ni3Fe composite electrode with outstanding OER electrocatalytic activity and robust durability in alkaline media. Benefiting from the 3D nanoporous architectures and their in situ growth on a highly conductive substrate, the novel S-doped NiFe2O4/Ni3Fe composite electrode offers an ideal platform for fast electron transport and efficient mass transport. It also provides abundant active surface area as well as accessible active sites for a catalytic reaction. Impressively, the S-doped composite electrode displays superior OER activity in 1.0 M KOH that compares favorably with the state-of-the-art RuO2 catalyst. Low overpotentials of 260 and 285 mV (iR corrected) are required to reach long-term stable current densities of 100 and 500 mA cm−2 for OER, respectively. The electrolyzer cell obtained by pairing this S-doped composite electrode as an anode with a Ni–Mo based cathode for overall water-splitting works efficiently in both 1.0 M (1.52 V for 10 mA cm−2 and 1.79 V for 100 mA cm−2) and 30 wt% KOH (1.69 V for 100 mA cm−2) solutions, with long durability for over 220 h. Such catalyst couple exhibits superior catalytic performance and holds great promise for potential application in electrochemical water splitting.

Graphical abstract: Scalable one-step electrochemical deposition of nanoporous amorphous S-doped NiFe2O4/Ni3Fe composite films as highly efficient electrocatalysts for oxygen evolution with ultrahigh stability

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
25 Sep 2017
Accepted
20 Dec 2017
First published
21 Dec 2017

J. Mater. Chem. A, 2018,6, 1551-1560

Scalable one-step electrochemical deposition of nanoporous amorphous S-doped NiFe2O4/Ni3Fe composite films as highly efficient electrocatalysts for oxygen evolution with ultrahigh stability

M. Y. Gao, J. R. Zeng, Q. B. Zhang, C. Yang, X. T. Li, Y. X. Hua and C. Y. Xu, J. Mater. Chem. A, 2018, 6, 1551 DOI: 10.1039/C7TA08474A

To request permission to reproduce material from this article, please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

If you are an author contributing to an RSC publication, you do not need to request permission provided correct acknowledgement is given.

If you are the author of this article, you do not need to request permission to reproduce figures and diagrams provided correct acknowledgement is given. If you want to reproduce the whole article in a third-party publication (excluding your thesis/dissertation for which permission is not required) please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

Read more about how to correctly acknowledge RSC content.

Social activity

Spotlight

Advertisements