Room-Temperature Synthesis of Carbon-Nanotube-Interconnected Amorphous NiFe-Layered Double Hydroxides for Boosting Oxygen Evolution Reaction

Zhuo Chen; Qiang Qu; Xinsheng Li; Katam Srinivas; Yuanfu Chen; Mingqiang Zhu

doi:10.3390/molecules28217289

Molecules (Oct 2023)

Room-Temperature Synthesis of Carbon-Nanotube-Interconnected Amorphous NiFe-Layered Double Hydroxides for Boosting Oxygen Evolution Reaction

Zhuo Chen,
Qiang Qu,
Xinsheng Li,
Katam Srinivas,
Yuanfu Chen,
Mingqiang Zhu

Affiliations

Zhuo Chen: College of Mechanical and Electronic Engineering, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, China
Qiang Qu: College of Mechanical and Electronic Engineering, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, China
Xinsheng Li: State Key Laboratory of Electronic Thin Films and Integrated Devices, School of Integrated Circuit Science and Engineering, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 610054, China
Katam Srinivas: State Key Laboratory of Electronic Thin Films and Integrated Devices, School of Integrated Circuit Science and Engineering, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 610054, China
Yuanfu Chen: State Key Laboratory of Electronic Thin Films and Integrated Devices, School of Integrated Circuit Science and Engineering, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 610054, China
Mingqiang Zhu: College of Mechanical and Electronic Engineering, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, China

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules28217289
Journal volume & issue: Vol. 28, no. 21
p. 7289

Abstract

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The oxygen evolution reaction (OER) is a key half-reaction in electrocatalytic water splitting. Large-scale water electrolysis is hampered by commercial noble-metal-based OER electrocatalysts owing to their high cost. To address these issues, we present a facile, one-pot, room-temperature co-precipitation approach to quickly synthesize carbon-nanotube-interconnected amorphous NiFe-layered double hydroxides (NiFe-LDH@CNT) as cost-effective, efficient, and stable OER electrocatalysts. The hybrid catalyst NiFe-LDH@CNT delivered outstanding OER activity with a low onset overpotential of 255 mV and a small Tafel slope of 51.36 mV dec−1, as well as outstanding long-term stability. The high catalytic capability of NiFe-LDH@CNT is associated with the synergistic effects of its room-temperature synthesized amorphous structure, bi-metallic modulation, and conductive CNT skeleton. The room-temperature synthesis can not only offer economic feasibility, but can also allow amorphous NiFe-LDH to be obtained without crystalline boundaries, facilitating long-term stability during the OER process. The bi-metallic nature of NiFe-LDH guarantees a modified electronic structure, providing additional catalytic sites. Simultaneously, the highly conductive CNT network fosters a nanoporous structure, facilitating electron transfer and O2 release and enriching catalytic sites. This study introduces an innovative approach to purposefully design nanoarchitecture and easily synthesize amorphous transition-metal-based OER catalysts, ensuring their cost effectiveness, production efficiency, and long-term stability.

Published in Molecules

ISSN: 1420-3049 (Online)
Publisher: MDPI AG
Country of publisher: Switzerland
LCC subjects: Science: Chemistry: Organic chemistry
Website: http://www.mdpi.com/journal/molecules

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