Promoting nickel oxidation state transitions in single-layer NiFeB hydroxide nanosheets for efficient oxygen evolution

Yuke Bai, Yu Wu, Xichen Zhou, Yifan Ye, Kaiqi Nie, Jiaou Wang, Miao Xie, Zhixue Zhang, Zhaojun Liu, Tao Cheng () and Chuanbo Gao ()
Additional contact information
Yuke Bai: Xi’an Jiaotong University
Yu Wu: Soochow University
Xichen Zhou: Xi’an Jiaotong University
Yifan Ye: University of Science and Technology of China
Kaiqi Nie: Chinese Academy of Sciences
Jiaou Wang: Chinese Academy of Sciences
Miao Xie: Soochow University
Zhixue Zhang: Xi’an Jiaotong University
Zhaojun Liu: Xi’an Jiaotong University
Tao Cheng: Soochow University
Chuanbo Gao: Xi’an Jiaotong University

Nature Communications, 2022, vol. 13, issue 1, 1-10

Abstract: Abstract Promoting the formation of high-oxidation-state transition metal species in a hydroxide catalyst may improve its catalytic activity in the oxygen evolution reaction, which remains difficult to achieve with current synthetic strategies. Herein, we present a synthesis of single-layer NiFeB hydroxide nanosheets and demonstrate the efficacy of electron-deficient boron in promoting the formation of high-oxidation-state Ni for improved oxygen evolution activity. Raman spectroscopy, X-ray absorption spectroscopy, and electrochemical analyses show that incorporation of B into a NiFe hydroxide causes a cathodic shift of the Ni2+(OH)2 → Ni3+δOOH transition potential. Density functional theory calculations suggest an elevated oxidation state for Ni and decreased energy barriers for the reaction with the NiFeB hydroxide catalyst. Consequently, a current density of 100 mA cm–2 was achieved in 1 M KOH at an overpotential of 252 mV, placing it among the best Ni-based catalysts for this reaction. This work opens new opportunities in electronic engineering of metal hydroxides (or oxides) for efficient oxygen evolution in water-splitting applications.

Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (4)

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-022-33846-0 Abstract (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:nat:natcom:v:13:y:2022:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-022-33846-0

Ordering information: This journal article can be ordered from
https://www.nature.com/ncomms/

DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-33846-0

Access Statistics for this article

Nature Communications is currently edited by Nathalie Le Bot, Enda Bergin and Fiona Gillespie

More articles in Nature Communications from Nature
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Sonal Shukla () and Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing ().