Ultrafast fabrication of amorphous bimetallic hydroxide layer on nickel nanocones array for oxygen evolution electrocatalyst

Abstract

Abstract Designing and fabricating high efficient oxygen evolution reaction (OER) electrocatalyst based on non-precious and earth-abundant elements are essential for future renewable energy production. In present work, we report a facile strategy to construct 3D ordered nickel-based OER catalyst. Firstly, nickel nanocones array (NNA) is electrodeposited on commercial Ni foam (NF) from an ammoniacal Ni (II) electrolyte, then an amorphous nickel and iron based bimetallic hydroxide layer is fabricated on the NNA/NF via an ultrafast approach from an Fe3+ contained solution at 100\xa0°C. The derived composite material (Ni Fe OH@NNA/NF) exhibits high electrocatalytic activity toward OER as well as good durability. Moreover, it demonstrates that this is a general approach to fabricate other Ni-based bimetallic hydroxide (Ni-M-OH, M\xa0=\xa0Ni, Co, Mn, or Cu) layers on NNA/NF with good OER performance. This work provides an attractive method for the design and fabrication of 3D ordered nickel-based electrocatalyst for OER.