In-situ doping of Co in nickel selenide nanoflower for robust electrocatalysis towards oxygen evolution

The state-of-the-art catalytic materials for oxygen evolution reaction (OER) are Ru and Ir precious metals. Despite of high activity in OER, large-scale production and application of these materials are restricted by low abundance and high price. Exploring inexpensive and efficient electrocatalytic materials for OER is a hot spot of research. Herein, Co-doped nickel selenide (Co–NiSe) nanoflowers are solvothermally in-situ grown on nickel foam (NF), which acts as a robust catalytic electrode for OER. In 1.0 M KOH electrolyte, the required overpotential is 380 mV to reach a current density of 100 mA cm−2. The Tafel slope is 111.0 mV dec−1. A long-term catalytic stability for OER is obtained. Cobalt doping not only produces more catalytically active sites for OER, but also promotes charge transport through electronic interaction with NiSe.