Tuning the oxygen evolution electrocatalysis on NiFe-layered double hydroxides via sulfur doping

We report a facile way to prepare sulfur (S) doped Ni4/5Fe1/5-layered double hydroxide (LDH) electrocatalysts for oxygen evolution reaction (OER). The influence of S doping amount on the OER activity of the resulted NiFe-LDHs was studied and the optimal surface S content was ca. 0.43 at%. The developed S-doped NiFe-LDH exhibits excellent OER catalyst activity in 1.0 M KOH with overpotential of only 257 mV at the current density of 10 mA cm-2. Moreover, the catalyst could maintain high activity after 30 h stability test. The high activity of the S-doped NiFe-LDH catalysts may originate from the synergistic effect between S and the Fe sites. This work provides a simple but efficient way to improve the OER performance of transition metal oxides/(oxy)hydroxides.Graphical AbstractThe activity of Ni4/5Fe1/5-LDHs for oxygen evolution reaction is significantly enhanced by the introducing of trace amount of S. The interaction between surface S and Fe is suggested to contribute to this improved electrocatalytic performance.

Source: Chinese Journal of Catalysis - January 26, 2020 Category: Chemistry Source Type: research