The synthesis of highly efficient NiFe hydroxide@CoS electrocatalyst for oxygen evolution reaction

The generation of hydrogen via water splitting is primarily impaired by the sluggish kinetics of oxygen evolution reaction (OER). Therefore, the development of a low-price and highly efficient catalyst is critical to meet the industrial demand. In this work, a unique composite electrocatalyst that cobalt sulfide electrodeposited on NiFe hydroxide nanosheet (NiFe hydroxide@CoS) was reported. The NiFe hydroxide@CoS exhibited a low overpotential of 259 mV at the current density of 10 mA cm−2, a low Tafel slope of 45.8 mV dec−1 and excellent durability in 1 M KOH solution. The enhanced catalytic activity is ascribed to the strong interactions between NiFe hydroxide nanosheet and CoS that modified the electronic structures of the active sites, and the increased active sites after electrodeposition. Therefore, the facile electrodeposition of CoS benefits NiFe hydroxide nanosheet with the enhanced activity toward OER, facilitating the low-cost and stable water electrolysis.Graphical abstract