Effects of Alternating Magnetic Fields on the OER of Heterogeneous Core-Shell Structured NiFe2O4@(Ni, Fe)S/P

Enhancing Electrochemical Reactivity with Magnetic Fields: Unraveling the Role of Magneto-Electrochemistry

Electrocatalysis performs a vital role in numerous energy transformation and repository mechanics, including power cells, Electric field-assisted catalysis, and batteries. It is crucial to investigate new methods to improve electrocatalytic performance if effective and long-lasting power systems are developed. The modulation of catalytic activity and selectivity by external magnetic fields over electrochemical processes has received a lot of interest lately. How the use of various magnetic fields in electrocatalysis has great promise for building effective and selective catalysts, opening the door for the advancement of sophisticated energy conversion is discussed. Furthermore, the challenges and possibilities of incorporating magnetic fields into electrocatalytic systems and suggestions for future research areas are discussed.

Sonication-Induced Boladipeptide-Based Metallogel as an Efficient Electrocatalyst for the Oxygen Evolution Reaction

Bioinspired, self-assembled hybrid materials show great potential in the field of energy conversion. Here, we have prepared a sonication-induced boladipeptide (HO-YF-AA-FY-OH (PBFY); AA = Adipic acid, F = l-phenylalanine, and Y = l-tyrosine) and an anchored, self-assembled nickel-based coordinated polymeric nanohybrid hydrogel (Ni-PBFY). The morphological studies of hydrogels PBFY and Ni-PBFY exhibit nanofibrillar network structures. XPS analysis has been used to study the self-assembled coordinated polymeric hydrogel Ni-PBFY-3, with the aim of identifying its chemical makeup and electronic state. XANES and EXAFS analyses have been used to examine the local electronic structure and coordination environment of Ni-PBFY-3. The xerogel of Ni-PBFY was used to fabricate the electrodes and is utilized in the OER (oxygen evolution reaction). The native hydrogel (PBFY) contains a gelator boladipeptide of 15.33 mg (20 mmol L-1) in a final volume of 1 mL. The metallo-hydrogel (Ni-PBFY-3) is prepared by combining 15.33 mg (20 mmol L-1) of boladipeptide (PBFY) with 3 mg (13 mmol L-1) of NiCl2·6H2O metal in a final volume of 1 mL. It displays an ultralow Tafel slope of 74 mV dec-1 and a lower overpotential of 164 mV at a 10 mA cm-2 current density in a 1 M KOH electrolyte, compared to other electrocatalysts under the same experimental conditions. Furthermore, the Ni-PBFY-3 electrocatalyst has been witnessed to be highly stable during 100 h of chronopotentiometry performance. To explore the OER mechanism in an alkaline medium, a theoretical calculation was carried out by employing the first-principles-based density functional theory (DFT) method. The computed results obtained by the DFT method further confirm that the Ni-PBFY-3 electrocatalyst has a high intrinsic activity toward the OER, and the value of overpotential obtained from the present experiment agrees well with the computed value of the overpotential. The biomolecule-assisted electrocatalytic results provide a new approach for designing efficient electrocatalysts, which could have significant implications in the field of green energy conversion.

Spin-Magnetic Effect of d-π Conjugation Polymer Enhanced O-H Cleavage in Water Oxidation

A deep understanding of the mechanism for the spin-magnetic effect on O-H cleavage is crucial for the development of new catalysts for water oxidation. Herein, we designed and synthesized the crystalline Fe-DABDT and Co-DABDT (DABDT = 2,5-diaminobenzene-1,4-dithiol) and optimized an effective magnetic moment to explore the role of the spin-magnetic effect in the regulation of water oxidation activity. It can be found that the OER activity of the catalyst is positively correlated with its effective magnetic moment. Under the external magnetic field, Fe-DABDT with more spin single electrons has a stronger spin-magnetic response to water oxidation than Fe/Co-DABDT and Co-DABDT. The increase in OER current of Fe-DABDT is nearly 2 times higher than that of Co-DABDT. Experimental and density functional theory studies show that magnetized Fe sites could realize nucleophilic reaction, accelerate the polarization of electron spin states, and promote the polar decomposition of O-H and the formation of the O-O bond. This study provides mechanistic insight into the spin-magnetic effect of oxygen evolution reaction and further understanding of the spin origin of catalytic activity, which is expected to improve the energy efficiency of hydrogen production.

Fe-Based Metal Organic Framework-Derived FeNiP/N-Doped Carbon Heterogeneous Core-Shell Structures for Oxygen Evolution

It is of great significance to explore high activity, low overpotential, and outstanding durability electrocatalysts without precious metals for oxygen evolution reaction to reduce the energy consumption in the electrolysis of water to product hydrogen. Metal organic frameworks (MOFs) with periodic structure and uniform pore distribution have been widely used as precursors for the synthesis of transition metal electrocatalysts. Herein, we first synthesized nanoscale Fe-soc-MOFs with relatively high specific surface area and in situ converted it into nickel-iron double layer hydroxide/MOF (FeNi LDH/MOF) by Ni2+ etching. Finally, a nickel-iron phosphide/nitrogen-doped carbon cubic nanocage (FeNiP/NC) was obtained by calcination and phosphating. FeNiP/NC with its unique core-shell structure has an overpotential of only 240 mV at a current density of 10 mA/cm2 and can be continuously electrolyzed for 45 h. High catalytic activity of FeNiP/NC is mainly attributed to the action of Fe and Ni bimetals and the synergistic effect between FeNiP and N-doped porous carbon, which was confirmed by the calculation of density functional theory (i.e., Gibbs free energy). After a long period of electrolysis, FeNiP was converted to MOOH (M = Fe and Ni) and became the new active site. This study provides a feasible optimization strategy for the development of high-efficiency three-dimensional electrode materials without precious metals.

Efficient electrocatalyst for solar-driven electrolytic water splitting: Phosphorus (P) and niobium (Nb) co-doped NiFe2O4 nanosheet

In the context of hydrogen production through water electrolysis, the development of efficient and stable electrocatalysts is of paramount importance. However, the creation of cost-effective electrocatalysts poses a significant challenge. In this study, a P and Nb co-doped NiFe2O4 nanosheet is designed and grown on Fe foam (referred to as P, Nb-NiFe2O4/FF). The P, Nb-NiFe2O4/FF exhibits a distinctive crystalline/amorphous heterostructure, and the co-doping of P and Nb in the material leads to the exposure of additional catalytic active sites, optimization of the electronic structure, and enhancement of charge conductivity. Additionally, the P, Nb-NiFe2O4/FF possesses a superhydrophilic surface for the enhancement of charge/mass transfer at interface and a superaerophobic surface, facilitating the efficient release of gas. The P, Nb-NiFe2O4/FF demonstrates remarkable oxygen evolution reaction (OER) and hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) activities, achieving overpotential as low as 247 mV and 127 mV, respectively, to attain the current density response of 100 mA cm-2. Based on the high bifunctional activities, the P, Nb-NiFe2O4/FF requires only a working voltage of 1.56 V to obtain the current density of 10 mA cm-2 in overall water splitting. Furthermore, the overall water splitting device of P, Nb-NiFe2O4/FF is integrated with a commercial solar cell to simulate a solar-powered water splitting system, resulting in as superior solar-to-hydrogen conversion efficiency of 15.11%.

Sulfidation of CoCuOx Supported on Nickel Foam to Form a Heterostructure and Oxygen Vacancies for a High-Performance Anion-Exchange Membrane Water Electrolyzer

Anion-exchange membrane water electrolyzer (AEMWE) is attracting attention for hydrogen production owing to its ability to employ nonprecious metal catalysts and high energy conversion efficiency. Spinel-structured transition metal oxides exhibit excellent potential in oxygen evolution reaction (OERs). Nevertheless, the research on highly active and durable spinel-structured electrodes for the anodic OER of AEMWE is deficient. Herein, a self-supported S-CoCu oxide/nickel foam (S-CoCuOx/NF) anode was synthesized through a two-step method (electrodeposition and sulfidation). The formation of abundant oxygen vacancies and heterostructure collaboratively enhances the electron and mass transfer, resulting in an overpotential of 313 mV at 100 mA cm-2 for OER. For the lab-scale AEMWE system with the S-CoCuOx/NF anode, a current density of 1 A cm-2 was obtained at 1.87 V (cell voltage) with high durability for 110 h (1 A cm-2) at 60 °C. The results will provide insights into developing the spinel structure-derived anode for high-performance AEMWE.

Interfacial microenvironment modulation enhancing catalytic kinetics of CoNiP@NiFe LDH heterostructures for highly efficient oxygen evolution reaction

The development of highly active and robust OER catalysts is the key to address the constraints on the efficiency of electrocatalytic water splitting technology. Herein, CoNi-pristine was synthesized by a simple hydrothermal method, further phosphorylation treatment and construction of heterojunctions to synthesize efficient oxygen evolution catalysts. The OER catalytic performance of the material was greatly enhanced by the advantages of proper self-supporting 3D morphology, formation of heterogeneous interfaces and the synergistic effect of CoNiP and NiFe LDH. In 1 M KOH, CoNiP@NiFe LDH/NF only requires an overpotential of 207 mV to reach a current density of 10 mA cm-2 and operates at high current densities for more than 120 h without significant decay. It provides assistance for the rational design of interface-engineered heterostructures based on the synthesis of OER catalysts with high catalytic activity.

Green Synthesis of NiFe2O4 Nano-Spinel Oxide-Decorated Carbon Nanotubes for Efficient Capacitive Performance-Effect of Electrolyte Concentration

Energy storage applications received great attention due to environmental aspects. A green method was used to prepare a composite of nickel-iron-based spinel oxide nanoparticle@CNT. The prepared materials were characterized by different analytical methods like X-ray diffraction, X-ray photon spectroscopy (XPS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and transmitted electron microscopy (TEM). The synergistic effect between nickel-iron oxide and carbon nanotubes was characterized using different electrochemical methods like cyclic voltammetry (CV), galvanostatic charging/discharging (GCD), and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). The capacitances of the pristine NiFe2O4 and NiFe2O4@CNT were studied in different electrolyte concentrations. The effect of OH- concentrations was studied for modified and non-modified surfaces. Furthermore, the specific capacitance was estimated for pristine and modified NiFe2O4 at a wide current range (5 to 17 A g-1). Thus, the durability of different surfaces after 2000 cycles was studied, and the capacitance retention was estimated as 78.8 and 90.1% for pristine and modified NiFe2O4. On the other hand, the capacitance rate capability was observed as 65.1% (5 to 17 A g-1) and 62.4% (5 to 17 A g-1) for NiFe2O4 and NiFe2O4@CNT electrodes.

Sodium Tartrate-Assisted Synthesis of High-Purity NiFe2O4 Nano-Microrods Supported by Porous Ketjenblack Carbon for Efficient Alkaline Oxygen Evolution

Herein, a simple two-step synthetic method was developed for the synthesis of NiFe₂O₄ nano-microrods supported on Ketjenblack carbon (NiFe₂O₄/KB). A sodium tartrate-assisted hydrothermal method was employed for the synthesis of a NiFe-MOF/KB precursor, which was then pyrolyzed under N₂ at 500 °C to yield NiFe₂O₄/KB. Benefiting from the presence of high-valence Ni³⁺ and Fe³⁺, high conductivity, and a large electrochemically active surface area, NiFe₂O₄/KB delivered outstanding OER electrocatalytic performance under alkaline conditions, including a very low overpotential of 258 mV (vs RHE) at 10 mA cm^-2, a small Tafel slope of 43.01 mV dec^-1, and excellent durability in 1.0 M KOH. Density functional theory calculations verified the superior alkaline OER electrocatalytic activity of NiFe₂O₄ to IrO₂. While both catalysts possessed a similar metallic ground state, NiFe₂O₄ offered a lower energy barrier in the rate-determining OER step (*OOH → O₂) compared to IrO₂, resulting in faster OER kinetics.