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Iron Vacancies Induced Bifunctionality in Ultrathin Feroxyhyte Nanosheets for Overall Water Splitting
Author(s) -
Liu Bin,
Wang Yun,
Peng HuiQing,
Yang Ruoou,
Jiang Zheng,
Zhou Xingtai,
Lee ChunSing,
Zhao Huijun,
Zhang Wenjun
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
advanced materials
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 10.707
H-Index - 527
eISSN - 1521-4095
pISSN - 0935-9648
DOI - 10.1002/adma.201803144
Subject(s) - catalysis , materials science , vacancy defect , water splitting , nanotechnology , transition metal , oxygen evolution , chemical engineering , metal , substrate (aquarium) , ion , atomic units , hydrogen , chemistry , crystallography , metallurgy , photocatalysis , electrode , organic chemistry , quantum mechanics , engineering , electrochemistry , geology , oceanography , physics
Exploring of new catalyst activation principle holds a key to unlock catalytic powers of cheap and earth‐abundant materials for large‐scale applications. In this regard, the vacancy defects have been proven to be effective to initiate catalytic active sites and endow high electrocatalytic activities. However, such electrocatalytically active defects reported to date have been mostly formed by anion vacancies. Herein, it is demonstrated for the first time that iron cation vacancies induce superb water splitting bifunctionality in alkaline media. A simple wet‐chemistry method is developed to grow ultrathin feroxyhyte (δ‐FeOOH) nanosheets with rich Fe vacancies on Ni foam substrate. The theoretical and experimental results confirm that, in contrast to anion vacancies, the formation of rich second neighboring Fe to Fe vacancies in δ‐FeOOH nanosheets can create catalytic active centers for both hydrogen and oxygen evolution reactions. The atomic level insight into the new catalyst activation principle based on metal vacancies is adaptable for developing other transition metal electrocatalysts, including Fe‐based ones.