In Situ Electrochemical Formation of a Core‐Shell ZnFe2O4@Zn(Fe)OOH Heterostructural Catalyst for Efficient Water Oxidation in Alkaline Medium

Low‐cost, stable and highly active electrocatalysts for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) are needed to improve the efficiency of hydrogen production via water splitting. However, developing such a catalyst is still a challenge. Zinc ferrite (ZnFe2O4) is non‐toxic and made from cheap and earth‐abu...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:ChemElectroChem 2020-08, Vol.7 (16), p.3478-3486
Main Authors: Appiah‐Ntiamoah, Richard, Baye, Anteneh Fufa, Kim, Hern
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Catalysts
Catalytic activity
Chemical synthesis
cyclic voltammetry (CV) activation
Electrocatalysts
Electrolysis
Heterostructures
Hydrogen production
Oxidation
oxygen evolution reaction (OER)
Oxygen evolution reactions
Surface stability
Water splitting
Zinc
zinc ferrite core-shell catalysts
Zinc ferrites
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Summary:Low‐cost, stable and highly active electrocatalysts for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) are needed to improve the efficiency of hydrogen production via water splitting. However, developing such a catalyst is still a challenge. Zinc ferrite (ZnFe2O4) is non‐toxic and made from cheap and earth‐abundant materials making it a potential raw material for synthesizing “green” low‐cost catalysts for the OER. However, it has largely been ignored due to its low stability, conductivity and OER‐inactive Zn2+. Herein, ZnFe2O4 is used effectively as a pre‐catalyst to synthesize core‐shell ZnFe2O4@Zn(Fe)OOH polycrystalline heterostructures in situ via cyclic voltammetry. The ZnFe2O4@Zn(Fe)OOH heterostructures display much higher OER catalytic activity and stability than the benchmark RuO2 catalyst in alkaline medium, owing to its high conductivity, stability and electrochemically active surface area (ECSA). Our findings thus reveal a new and effective way by which ZnFe2O4 can be applied in water electrolysis. Working together: ZnFe2O4 nanosheet is an excellent precursor to synthesize core‐shell polycrystalline ZnFe2O4@Zn(Fe)OOH heterostructure via cyclic voltammetry (CV) activation, which unlike the precursor is highly stable and active for oxygen evolution catalysis in alkaline medium.
ISSN:2196-0216
2196-0216
DOI:10.1002/celc.202000834