Nickel-incorporated electrochemical activated carbon cloth for efficient and robust water oxidation activity

Carbon cloth is treated with a moderate electrochemical activation strategy to enrich its surface functional groups. In result, the hydrophilicity and intrinsic activity of carbon cloth (CC) can be enhanced. Furthermore, the activated carbon cloth (ACC) can adsorb massive transition-metal like nickel ions with a wet chemistry method. Combined with a low temperature thermal reduction under the atmosphere of Ar/H-2, nickel-incorporated activated carbon cloth (Ni-ACC) can be obtained. In comparison with bare CC and nickel-incorporated carbon cloth (Ni-CC), the Ni-ACC displays more superior activity and durability of water oxidation in alkaline environment. The overpotential at the current density of 10 mA cm(-2) (eta(10)) is maintained at 245 mV after chronopotentiometry (CP) test for 24 h. The electrochemical activated method can serve as a simple approach for fabricating various metal-incorporated ACC. (C) 2021 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Automated summary

Carbon cloth treated with a moderate electrochemical activation strategy can enhance its surface functional groups to improve hydrophilicity and intrinsic activity. The resulting nickel-incorporated activated carbon cloth displays superior water oxidation activity and durability in alkaline environment compared to bare carbon cloth and nickel-incorporated carbon cloth.