In-situ doping of Co in nickel selenide nanoflower for robust electrocatalysis towards oxygen evolution

The state-of-the-art catalytic materials for oxygen evolution reaction (OER) are Ru and Ir precious metals. Despite of high activity in OER, large-scale production and application of these materials are restricted by low abundance and high price. Exploring inexpensive and efficient electrocatalytic materials for OER is a hot spot of research. Herein, Co-doped nickel selenide (Co-NiSe) nanoflowers are solvothermally in-situ grown on nickel foam (NF), which acts as a robust catalytic electrode for OER. In 1.0 M KOH electrolyte, the required overpotential is 380 mV to reach a current density of 100 mA cm(-2). The Tafel slope is 111.0 mV dec(-1). A long-term catalytic stability for OER is obtained. Cobalt doping not only produces more catalytically active sites for OER, but also promotes charge transport through electronic interaction with NiSe. (C) 2020 Hydrogen Energy Publications LLC. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.