Heteroatoms Adjusting Amorphous FeMn-Based Nanosheets via a Facile Electrodeposition Method for Full Water Splitting
Shen Li, Qing Zhang, Juan Luo, Hong Fu, Xiao Hui Chen, Li Li Wu, Hong Qun Luo, Nian Bing Li
Abstract
There still exists a resplendent prospect of developing a robust and stable non-noble metal catalyst for overall water splitting. Herein, we designed highly efficient amorphous FeMn-based electrocatalysts toward oxygen/hydrogen evolution reactions (OER/HER) via a simple electrodeposition method using Ni foam (NF) as the support. Nonmetal heteroatoms are introduced to adjust the intrinsic properties through this route without any post-treatment steps. Benefiting from the synergistic effect of Fe and Mn species and nonmetal atoms, in 1.0 M KOH solutions, FeMnOx efficiently drives the OER with an overpotential of 220 mV at 10 mA cm–2, and P-FeMnOx is helpful for both the OER and the HER (251 and 97 mV @ 10 mA cm–2) catalysis. Two electrolytic tanks employing P-FeMnOx as a cathode and FeMnOx/P-FeMnOx as anodes show low voltages reaching 50 mA cm–2 (1.62 and 1.68 V). This work highlights the combination of advantages between nonmetal and different non-noble metal elements in high-performing overall water electrocatalysis.