Cr-doped CoFe layered double hydroxide nanosheets as high-efficiency electrocatalyst for oxygen evolution reaction

Developing high-performance, stable and low-cost catalysts are vital for oxygen evolution reaction. Transition metal cobalt-iron layered double hydroxides are promising catalyst candidates for the OER process. In our work, nonprecious chromium dopant is introduced into the CoFe layered double hydroxide (LDH) via a facile one-step hydrothermal method. Compared to other catalysts including CoFeZn, CoFe LDH and CoFeCd, CoFeCr LDH exhibits excellent electrocatalytic activity with an ultralow overpotential of 278 mV at the current density of 10 mA cm−2 and high ability after cyclic voltammetry for 3000 cycles. The dopant of Cr3+ could adjust the electronic structure and the partially oxidized Cr6+ could stabilize the high valence active sites. Therefore, the CoFeCr LDHs catalyst shows superior OER performance.