Lattice distortion induced Ce-doped NiFe-LDH for efficient oxygen evolution

• Published in: Chemical engineering journal (Lausanne, Switzerland : 1996) Vol. 464; p. 142669
• Main Authors: Liao, Yuanyuan, He, Ruchen, Pan, Wanghao, Li, Yao, Wang, Yingying, Li, Jing, Li, Yongxiu
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier B.V 15.05.2023
• Subjects: Ce doping; Lattice distortion; NiFe LDH; Oxygen evolution reaction; Oxygen evolution reaction; Lattice distortion; NiFe LDH; Ce doping
• ISSN: 1385-8947; 1873-3212
• DOI: 10.1016/j.cej.2023.142669

[Display omitted] •Inducing lattice distortion in NiFe-LDH nanosheets by Ce-doping towards accelerating electrocatalytic oxygen evolution reaction.•The optimal NiFeCe-LDH@CP only requires 267 mV to deliver 100 mA cm−2, which is 41 mV lower than pure NiFe-LDH@CP.•NiFeCe-LDH@CP have retained their structural property after 70 h stability.•DFT calculations reveal that lattice distortion could optimize the electronic structure of the Ni element in active sites and lower the energy barrier, thus accelerating the OER. Nickel-iron layered double hydroxide (NiFe-LDH) is a promising active electrocatalyst for oxygen evolution reaction (OER). However, the development of NiFe-LDH is limited by poor electrical conductivity and inferior cycling stability. Herein, we present a structural perturbation and distinct distorted lattice strategy via Ce doping in NiFe-LDH on carbon paper (CP) (NiFeCe-LDH@CP) to boost its OER performance. Lattice distortion results in a large accessible surface area and induces more Ovac, accelerating the OER by modifying the intrinsic electronic structure and optimizing the adsorption energy of intermediates. As a result, the optimized NiFeCe-LDH@CP possesses excellent stability over 70 h and can deliver the current density of 100 mA/cm2 with the overpotentials of only 267 mV, which is 41 mV lower than pure NiFe-LDH@CP. Theoretical calculations indicate that the introduction of lattice distortion into NiFe-LDH could optimize the electronic structure of the Ni element in active sites and lower the energy barrier, thus leading to a significant increase in OER activity. This work figures out the effect of lattice distortion strategy on the improvement of OER performance, which opens new perspectives on the development of defect-rich OER electrocatalysts.