Fe2+-Doped Layered Double (Ni, Fe) Hydroxides as Efficient Electrocatalysts for Water Splitting and Self-Powered Electrochemical Systems

Developing nonprecious electrocatalysts with superior activity and durability for electrochemical water splitting is of great interest but challenging due to the large overpotential required above the thermodynamic standard potential of water splitting (1.23 V). Here, in situ growth of Fe2+-doped layered double (Ni, Fe) hydroxide (NiFe(II,III)-LDH) on nickel foam with well-defined hexagonal morphology and high crystallinity by a redox reaction between Fe3+ and nickel foam under hydrothermal conditions is reported. Benefiting from tuning the local atomic structure by self-doping Fe2+, the NiFe(II,III)-LDH catalyst with higher amounts of Fe2+ exhibits high activity toward oxygen evolution reaction (OER) as well as hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) activity. Moreover, the optimized NiFe(II,III)-LDH catalyst for OER (O-NiFe(II,III)-LDH) and catalyst for HER (H-NiFe(II,III)-LDH) show overpotentials of 140 and 113 mV, respectively, at a current density of 10 mA cm(-2) in 1 m KOH aqueous electrolyte. Using the catalysts for overall water splitting in two-electrode configuration, a low overpotential of just 1.54 V is required at a benchmark current density of 10 mA cm(-2). Furthermore, it is demonstrated that electrolysis of the water device can be drived by a self-powered system through integrating a triboelectric nanogenerator and battery, showing a promising way to realize self-powered electrochemical systems.