Efficient and durable MoFeNi hydroxide anode: Room temperature recrystallization regulated morphology-, valence- and crystallinity-dependent water oxidation performance

The formation of crystal-amorphous (c-a) interfaces by modulating the crystallinity of the material is a promising strategy for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER). Herein, a recrystallization growth at room temperature to regulate the crystallinity of catalysts is reported. The MoFeNi hydroxide precursor was synthesized by the sol-vothermal method, and then the crystallinity of the material was controlled by adjusting the concentration of Na2S in the immersion solution. These c-a heterogeneous interfaces significantly improved the OER activity of the catalysts while ensuring structural stability. The best catalyst exhibited a low overpotential of 195 mV to reach 10 mA cm-2 in 1 M KOH. It also showed good stability, operating stably at high current densities for 96 h without significant degradation. In addition, the anode of the two-electrode water splitting electrolyzer required only 1.46 V to reach 10 mA cm-2 and operated for a long time without significant degradation. This method will provide new insights and perspectives for developing efficient and stable OER catalysts.

Automated summary

The formation of crystal-amorphous interfaces is a promising strategy for enhancing the oxygen evolution reaction (OER). This study presents a method to control the crystallinity of catalysts through recrystallization growth at room temperature. The resulting heterogeneous interfaces significantly improve the OER activity of the catalysts while maintaining structural stability.