Electrochemically reconstructed high-entropy amorphous FeCoNiCrVB as a highly active oxygen evolution catalyst

Abstract

Designing catalysts with high electrochemical activity and stability for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) is a pivotal step for sustainable water splitting. Interface engineering can represent a practical approach to enhance catalytic performance. In this work, a cyclic voltammetry (CV) technique as an intentional surface reconstruction strategy is utilized to promote FeCoNiCrVB as a highly active OER catalyst. The activated electrocatalyst manifests enhanced catalytic activity with a low overpotential of 237 mV at a current density of 10 mA cm⁻² and a Tafel slope of 24.2 mV dec⁻¹, compared with the pristine one (332 mV & 46.2 mV dec⁻¹). The excellent activity and long-term stability make reconstructed FeCoNiCrVB a promising candidate to catalyze the OER process. The amorphous state, highly active sites and entropy engineering jointly contribute to its advanced OER performance. This work shows the great potential of multicomponent alloys as electrocatalysts, and provides new ideas for the enhancement of the OER activity by using an electrochemical surface reconstruction strategy.