Straightforward fabrication of robust Fe-doped Ni3Se2 supported nickel foam as a highly efficient electrocatalyst for the oxygen evolution reaction

Abstract

Sluggish kinetics is the major obstruction in the reaction of water splitting. Design and development of noble metal-free, active and bifunctional electrocatalysts are crucial for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER). Transition-metal selenides have been applied as OER catalyst alternatives to noble metal-based catalysts. Herein, we report that a Fe-doped Ni₃Se₂ film electrodeposited on a conductive three dimensional macro-porous Ni foam (NF) substrate behaves as a robust electrocatalyst for the OER in a strongly basic medium (1 M, KOH), showing good activity compared to its un-doped counterpart. This catalyst showed excellent performance, exhibiting a current density of 10 mA cm⁻² at an overpotential of 225 mV and a low Tafel slope (35.3 mV dec⁻¹), indicating an enticing prospect in the OER.