Ni(OH)2 nanosheets and highly stable Ni(OH)2/GO nanocomposite for its improved OER performance

In this work, Ni(OH)2/GO nanocomposite is synthesized using an improved hummers method followed by a hydrothermal method. The oxygen evolution reaction of the Ni(OH)2/GO nanocomposite is studied. The prepared nanocomposite is characterized by XRD, SEM, TEM, XPS, and Raman techniques. The Ni(OH)2 nanosheets are well dispersed on the surface of the graphene oxide layers, which improves the surface area. The nanocomposite is able to withstand high overpotential with a negligible current loss for 12 h. The Ni(OH)2/GO nanocomposite shows an improved oxygen evolution reaction (OER) performance with a low overpotential of 1.61 V (vs. RHE) at 10 mA cm−2. The nanocomposite shows a low Tafel slope of 89.1 mV dec−1, nearly one by third of bare Ni(OH)2 nanosheets 307.1 (mV dec−1). Also, the Ni(OH)2/GO nanocomposite shows improved electrochemical stability than the bare Ni(OH)2.