skip to main content

Explore Research Products in the NSF-PAR

Title: Cooperative Fe sites on transition metal (oxy)hydroxides drive high oxygen evolution activity in base
Abstract

Fe-containing transition-metal (oxy)hydroxides are highly active oxygen-evolution reaction (OER) electrocatalysts in alkaline media and ubiquitously form across many materials systems. The complexity and dynamics of the Fe sites within the (oxy)hydroxide have slowed understanding of how and where the Fe-based active sites form—information critical for designing catalysts and electrolytes with higher activity and stability. We show that where/how Fe species in the electrolyte incorporate into host Ni or Co (oxy)hydroxides depends on the electrochemical history and structural properties of the host material. Substantially less Fe is incorporated from Fe-spiked electrolyte into Ni (oxy)hydroxide at anodic potentials, past the nominally Ni2+/3+redox wave, compared to during potential cycling. The Fe adsorbed under constant anodic potentials leads to impressively high per-Fe OER turn-over frequency (TOFFe) of ~40 s−1at 350 mV overpotential which we attribute to under-coordinated “surface” Fe. By systematically controlling the concentration of surface Fe, we find TOFFeincreases linearly with the Fe concentration. This suggests a changing OER mechanism with increased Fe concentration, consistent with a mechanism involving cooperative Fe sites in FeOxclusters.

  more » « less
NSF-PAR ID:
10475527
Author(s) / Creator(s):
; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;
Publisher / Repository:
Nature Publishing Group
Date Published:
Journal Name:
Nature Communications
Volume:
14
Issue:
1
ISSN:
2041-1723
Format(s):
Medium: X
Sponsoring Org:
National Science Foundation
More Like this
  1. ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; et al ( , Materials Advances)
    null (Ed.)
    Nickel nitride (Ni 3 N) is known as one of the promising precatalysts for the electrochemical oxygen evolution reaction (OER) under alkaline conditions. Due to its relatively low oxidation resistance, Ni 3 N is electrochemically self-oxidized into nickel oxides/oxyhydroxides (electroactive sites) during the OER. However, we lack a full understanding of the effects of Ni 3 N self-oxidation and Fe impurity incorporation into Ni 3 N from electrolyte towards OER activity. Here, we report on our examination of the compositional and structural transformation of Ni 3 N precatalyst layers on Ni foams (Ni 3 N/Ni foam) during extended periods of OER testing in Fe-purified and unpurified KOH media using both a standard three-electrode cell and a flow cell, and discuss their electrocatalytic properties. After the OER tests in both KOH media, the Ni 3 N surfaces were converted into amorphous, nano-porous nickel oxide/(oxy)hydroxide surfaces. In the Fe-purified electrolyte, a decrease in OER activity was confirmed after the OER test because of the formation of pure NiOOH with low OER activity and electrical conductivity. Conversely, in the unpurified electrolyte, a continuous increase in OER activity was observed over the OER testing, which may have resulted from the Fe incorporation into the self-oxidation-formed NiOOH. Our experimental findings revealed that Fe impurities play an essential role in obtaining notable OER activity using the Ni 3 N precatalyst. Additionally, our Ni 3 N/Ni foam electrode exhibited a low OER overpotential of 262 mV to reach a geometric current density of 10 mA cm geo −2 in a flow cell with unpurified electrolyte. 
    more » « less
  2. ; ( , Journal of The Electrochemical Society)
    Nickel-chromium-molybdenum (NiCrMo) alloys are well-known for having exceptional corrosion resistance, but their electrocatalytic properties have not been extensively studied. In this paper, the development of electro-active nickel-oxyhydroxide (NiOOH) phases and kinetics of the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) have been examined on alloys G35, B3, and C276 in alkaline electrolyte at 25 °C. Reproducible oxide layers were grown by potential cycling between 0.85 and 1.52 V vs RHE up to 600 cycles, and the transition between Ni(OH) 2 and NiOOH was monitored by cyclic voltammetry throughout. Onset potentials, Tafel slopes, and turnover frequencies (TOF) were measured at OER overpotentials between 270 and 390 mV. Alloys with dissimilar Cr:Mo ratios had significantly higher electrochemical surface area and increased γ -NiOOH formation, suggesting higher metal dissolution rates. The equal Cr:Mo concentration alloy and pure Ni developed a primarily β -NiOOH surface, and had 1.8–2.0 times larger TOF values than those containing significant γ -NiOOH. The NiCrMo alloys required smaller overpotentials (54–80 mV) to produce 10 mA cm −2 of OER current, and had comparable Tafel slopes to pure Ni. The findings here indicate a β -NiOOH-developed surface to be more OER-active than a γ -NiOOH-developed surface, and suggest certain NiCrMo alloys have promise as OER electrocatalysts. 
    more » « less
  3. ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; et al ( , Small)
    Abstract

    The large‐scale hydrogen production and application through electrocatalytic water splitting depends crucially on the development of highly efficient, cost‐effective electrocatalysts for oxygen evolution reaction (OER), which, however, remains challenging. Here, a new electrocatalyst of trimetallic Fe–Co–Ni hydroxide (denoted as FeCoNiOxHy) with a nanotubular structure is developed through an enhanced Kirkendall process under applied potential. The FeCoNiOxHyfeatures synergistic electronic interaction between Fe, Co, and Ni, which not only notably increases the intrinsic OER activity of FeCoNiOxHyby facilitating the formation of *OOH intermediate, but also substantially improves the intrinsic conductivity of FeCoNiOxHyto facilitate charge transfer and activate catalytic sites through electrocatalyst by promoting the formation of abundant Co3+. Therefore, FeCoNiOxHydelivers remarkably accelerated OER kinetics and superior apparent activity, indicated by an ultra‐low overpotential potential of 257 mV at a high current density of 200 mA cm−2. This work is of fundamental and practical significance for synergistic catalysis related to advanced energy conversion materials and technologies.

     
    more » « less
  4. ; ; ; ; ; ; ( , Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences)

    Earth-abundant oxygen evolution catalysts (OECs) with extended stability in acid can be constructed by embedding active sites within an acid-stable metal-oxide framework. Here, we report stable NiPbOxfilms that are able to perform oxygen evolution reaction (OER) catalysis for extended periods of operation (>20 h) in acidic solutions of pH 2.5; conversely, native NiOxcatalyst films dissolve immediately. In situ X-ray absorption spectroscopy and ex situ X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy reveal that PbO2is unperturbed after addition of Ni and/or Fe into the lattice, which serves as an acid-stable, conductive framework for embedded OER active centers. The ability to perform OER in acid allows the mechanism of Fe doping on Ni catalysts to be further probed. Catalyst activity with Fe doping of oxidic Ni OEC under acid conditions, as compared to neutral or basic conditions, supports the contention that role of Fe3+in enhancing catalytic activity in Ni oxide catalysts arises from its Lewis acid properties.

     
    more » « less
  5. ; ; ; ; ; ( , Angewandte Chemie International Edition)
    Abstract

    Iron cations are essential for the high activity of nickel and cobalt‐based (oxy)hydroxides for the oxygen evolution reaction, but the role of iron in the catalytic mechanism remains under active investigation. Operando X‐ray absorption spectroscopy and density functional theory calculations are used to demonstrate partial Fe oxidation and a shortening of the Fe−O bond length during oxygen evolution on Co(Fe)OxHy. Cobalt oxidation during oxygen evolution is only observed in the absence of iron. These results demonstrate a different mechanism for water oxidation in the presence and absence of iron and support the hypothesis that oxidized iron species are involved in water‐oxidation catalysis on Co(Fe)OxHy.

     
    more » « less
  • Citation Formats
  • MLA
  • APA
  • Chicago
  • BibTeX
  • Save / Share this Record
  • Send to Email