FeNi nanoparticle-modified reduced graphene oxide as a durable electrocatalyst for oxygen evolution
Inna Yusnila Khairani, Benjin Jin, Sidney M. Palardonio, Ulrich Hagemann, Beatriz Alonso, Amaya Ortega, Carlos Doñate‐Buendía, Jordi Martorell, Carles Ros, Tanja Kallio, Bilal Gökce
Abstract
• FeNi-based OER catalyst with more than 1300 h stability . • OER catalytic performance with an overpotential of only 234 mV at 10 mA/cm 2 . • One-step synthesis and supporting of FeNi nanoparticles on rGO surface. • Size -quenching effect of FeNi nanoparticles through downstream laser ablation in liquid. Clean energy transition and decarbonization through hydrogen technology hold a crucial role in revitalizing a sustainable world. The development of catalysts free of precious elements to facilitate the water splitting process in an electrolyser represents a key sustainable goal to lower the production cost of green hydrogen fuel, therefore improving its accessibility and affordability. Here we report a hybrid electrocatalyst for oxygen evolution reaction (OER) in alkaline media with high stability and low overpotential, free of precious metals and rare elements. The hybrid catalyst is composed of laser-generated Fe 50 Ni 50 nanoparticles (FeNi NPs) dispersed on reduced graphene oxide (rGO) and deposited on FeNi layered double hydroxide (FeNi LDH) grown on Ni foam substrate. The prepared FeNi-rGO/FeNi/Ni foam hybrid catalyst requires an overpotential of only 234 mV at a current density of 10 mA/cm 2 , which is 37 mV lower than the tested commercial RuO 2 catalyst on Ni foam substrate. Besides, the hybrid catalyst is extremely robust; it stands 10,000 cycles of accelerated deterioration and runs for more than 1,300 h at a current density of 10 mA/cm 2 without performance decay.