A High‐Performance Binary Ni–Co Hydroxide‐based Water Oxidation Electrode with Three‐Dimensional Coaxial Nanotube Array Structure

Abstract

Developing nanostructured Ni and Co oxides with a small overpotential and fast kinetics of the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) have drawn considerable attention recently because their theoretically high efficiency, high abundance, low cost, and environmental benignity in comparison with precious metal oxides, such as RuO 2 and IrO 2 . However, how to increase the specific activity area and improve their poor intrinsic conductivity is still challenging, which significantly limits the overall OER rate and largely prevent their utilization. Thus, developing effective OER electrocatalysts with abundant active sites and high electrical conductivity still remains urgent. In this work, a scrupulous design of OER electrode with a unique sandwich‐like coaxial structure of the three‐dimensional Ni@[Ni (2+/3+) Co 2 (OH) 6–7 ] x nanotube arrays (3D NNCNTAs) is reported. A Ni nanotube array with open end is homogeneous coated with Ni and Co co‐hydroxide nanosheets ([Ni (2+/3+) Co 2 (OH) 6–7 ] x ) and is employed as multifunctional interlayer to provide a large surface area and fast electron transport and support the outermost [Ni (2+/3+) Co 2 (OH) 6–7 ] x layer. The remarkable features of high surface area, enhanced electron transport, and synergistic effects have greatly assured excellent OER activity with a small overpotential of 0.46 V at the current density of 10 mA cm −2 and high stability.