Hydrophilic NiFe-LDH/Ti3C2Tx/NF electrode for assisting efficiently oxygen evolution reaction.

Electrolytic water splitting, consists of hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER), still has many challenges because of the high cost and scarity of the indispensable noble metal catalysts. Herein, the costless and effective NiFe layered double hydroxide (NiFe-LDH), supported on the Ti 3 C 2 T x modified 3D nickel foam (NF), is used instead of noble metal to intensify the transfer ability of the charges as well as ions in the OER catalysis process. The prepared NiFe-LDH/Ti 3 C 2 T x /NF electrode has a lower overpotential (240 ​mV ​at 50 ​mA ​cm−2) and Tafel slope (82 ​mV dec−1) as compared with that of IrO 2 /Ti 3 C 2 T x /NF(400 ​mV, 252 ​mV dec−1). Meanwhile, it has a good endurance and stability with a negligible voltage changing after 15 ​h of testing. The work provides reference for the synthetic of catalyst with high catalytic kinetics and activity in the field of electrolytic water splitting. The Graphical Abstract mainly includes the schematic illustration of the fabrication of effectively NiFe-LDH/Ti 3 C 2 T x /NF electrocatalytic electrode by two-step electrodeposition, and LSV curves of different electrodes. Image 1 • Ti 3 C 2 T x is used to functionally modify NF interface to support NiFe-LDH catalyst. • NiFe-LDH catalyst can be deposited more uniformly on the Ti 3 C 2 T x modified NF interface. • The contact angle of NiFe-LDH/Ti 3 C 2 T x /NF interface is approximately 0°, showing good hydrophilic performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]