Preferential Co substitution on Ni sites in Ni–Fe oxide arrays enabling large-current-density alkaline oxygen evolution

Abstract

Developing low-cost and high-activity transition metal oxide electrocatalysts for an efficient oxygen evolution reaction (OER) at a large current density is highly demanded for industrial application and remains a big challenge. Herein, we report vertically aligned cobalt doped Ni–Fe based oxide (Co–NiO/Fe₂O₃) arrays as a robust OER electrocatalyst via a simple method combining hydrothermal reaction with heat treatment. Density functional theory calculation and XRD Rietveld refinement reveal that Co preferentially occupies the Ni sites compared to Fe in the Ni–Fe based oxides. The electronic structures of the Co–NiO/Fe₂O₃ could be further optimized, leading to the improvement of the intrinsic electronic conductivity and d-band center energy level and the decrease in the reaction energy barrier of the rate-determining step for the OER, thus accelerating its OER electrocatalytic activity. The Co–NiO/Fe₂O₃ nanosheet arrays display state-of-the-art OER activities at a large current density for industrial demands among Fe–Co–Ni based oxide electrocatalysts, which only require an ultra-low overpotential of 230 mV at a high current density of 500 mA cm⁻², and exhibit superb durability at 500 mA cm⁻² for at least 300 h without obvious degradation. The Co–NiO/Fe₂O₃ nanosheet arrays also have a small Tafel slope of 33.9 mV dec⁻¹, demonstrating fast reaction kinetics. This work affords a simple and effective method to design and construct transition metal oxide based electrocatalysts for efficient water oxidation.