In-situ generated P-doped NiCo2O4 nanosheet arrays with rapid charge transfer for efficient oxygen evolution reaction in alkaline solution

Exploring highly efficient electrocatalysts (OER) is critical for oxygen evolution reaction. Herein, for the first time, P-doped NiCo2O4 nanosheet arrays generated on nickel foam (namely P–NiCo2O4/NF) were constructed via a feasible protocol. Notably, the etching treatment can open the internal structure of ZIF-67 to offer more electrocatalytically active surface area, and obtained NiCo2O4 showed great electrocatalytic performance in OER. The introduction of P can effectively reduce the charge transfer resistance of NiCo2O4 and boost OER kinetics. More importantly, doping P not only improved the hydrophilicity of NiCo2O4, but also reduced its surface potentials, which provided convenience for the adsorption of OH− over P–NiCo2O4/NF electrode. As expected, the P–NiCo2O4/NF electrode with good long-term durability displayed excellent performance for OER in alkaline solution, and an overpotential of 121.6 mV was achieved at a current density of 10 mA/cm2. To sum up, current work can provide a meaningful reference to prepare electrocatalyst for efficient OER.