A novel strategy for preparing layered double hydroxide/exfoliated carbon nanostructures composites as superior electrochemical catalysts with respect to oxygen evolution and methanol oxidation

It is crucial to develop low cost, highly efficient catalysts for oxygen evolution and methanol oxidation to replace precious metal catalysts. Herein, a novel strategy for preparation of exfoliated carbon nano-structures (CNS)/metal layered double hydroxide (LDH) nanocomposites is developed via a facile electrochemical deposition. The as-prepared NiFe-LDH/CNS nanocomposite has excellent electrocatalytic activity with respect to the oxygen evolution reaction for which an overpotential of 236 mV is achieved to obtain a current density of 10 mA cm(-2) on a glassy carbon electrode. Furthermore, the as-prepared NiFe-LDH/CNS and NiCo LDH/CNS nanocomposites also exhibit excellent electrocatalytic activity with respect to methanol oxidation in alkaline electrolyte and thus have multifunctional catalytic activities. (c) 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.