Computational Discovery of Optimal Dopants for Nickel Iron Oxyhydroxide to Enhance OER Activity and Saline Water Compatibility

A strategic approach has been proposed for designing robust, high-performing oxygen evolution reaction (OER) catalysts tailored for saline water splitting. By employing a density functional theory (DFT)-based computational screening process, a set of promising dopants were identified from a range of 26 3d to 5d transition metals, with the aim of enhancing the activity and saline water resilience of the catalysts. The screening methodology was 3-fold, encompassing evaluations of OER energetics, chlorine evolution reaction (ClER) energetics, and chloride-corrosion energetics. The screening led to the selection of Sc as a promising dopant, which substantially elevated the performance of the NiFeOOH catalysts. This improvement was validated by an 87 mV decrease in OER overpotential at 100 mA/cm2 and a 100 h stability test under 1 M KOH + 0.5 M NaCl conditions. This study contributes to the understanding of the alkaline ClER and chloride-corrosion mechanisms, providing insights into catalyst behavior under saline conditions.