Hollow FeNi-based hybrid polyhedron derived from unique sulfur-modulating coordinated transition bimetal complexes for efficient oxygen evolution reactions

Abstract

Despite the significant progress in the preparation of hollow structures, it is a challenge to build high-quality complex hollow structures with controllable morphology, particularly for multicomponent materials. Herein, a facile strategy was first developed to tune the morphology of coordinated transition bimetal complexes via controlling the growth rates of {111} and {100} facets using sulfur as a morphological modulator and template-engaged pyrolysis to form a unique hollow polyhedron (S–FeNi@NC). By virtue of the structural and compositional features, the optimized S–FeNi@NC hollow cuboctahedron shows excellent activities with a remarkably small overpotential of 272 mV to reach 20 mA cm⁻², a lower Tafel slope with 84 mA dec⁻¹, and an excellent durability without degradation after 5000 CV cycles toward oxygen evolution reaction (OER) in an alkaline medium. The strategy developed here provides a new path to prepare hollow transition metal hybrids with a tunable polyhedral structure for catalysis and energy conversion.