Porous NiFeP electrocatalyst prepared via a fully electrochemical strategy combining hydrogen bubble templating and surface modification for anion exchange membrane water electrolysis

초록

Water electrolysis is a key technology for green hydrogen production; however, the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) occurring at the anode remains the main kinetic bottleneck because of its sluggish multielectron transfer process. Thus, developing efficient and durable electrocatalysts is essential for increasing the commercial viability of anion exchange membrane water electrolysis (AEMWE). In this study, a porous NiFeP catalyst has been prepared via a fully electrochemical strategy that integrates dynamic hydrogen bubble template (DHBT) electrodeposition with KSCN-assisted surface modification. This strategy offers rapid, low-cost, and scalable fabrication as well as precise control over the catalyst morphology and surface chemistry. DHBT electrodeposition generates an interconnected microporous network with high surface area, while the subsequent KSCN treatment induces Ni leaching and reconstructs the surface into amorphous high-valent metal phases, thereby optimizing the electronic structure to increase the OER activity. The resulting catalyst demonstrates a large surface area and excellent catalytic performance, achieving an overpotential of 269 mV at 100 mA cm- 2 in a 1 M KOH solution. When employed as an anode for single-cell AEMWE, it reaches a current density of 1.0 A cm- 2 at 1.70 V with minimal performance degradation over 100 h. This facile and scalable synthesis route highlights a practical pathway for developing noble metal-free OER catalysts for sustainable hydrogen generation.

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