Interfacial Electronic Structure Modulation of NiTe Nanoarrays with NiS Nanodots Facilitates Electrocatalytic Oxygen Evolution.

Xue, Ziqian; Li, Xia; Liu, Qinglin; Cai, Mengke; Liu, Kang; Liu, Min; Ke, Zhuofeng; Liu, Xialin et al. · Adv Mater · 2019

basic_science · Level V

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Abstract

Interface engineering has been recognized as one of the most promising strategies for regulating the physical and chemical properties of materials. However, constructing well-defined nanointerfaces with efficient oxygen evolution reaction (OER) still remains a challenge. Herein, cross columnar NiTe nanoarrays supported on nickel foam are prepared. Subsequently, NiTe/NiS nanointerfaces are constructed by an ion-exchange process. Importantly, the electrocatalytic performance for the OER can be facilitated by coupling NiTe and NiS. As a result, NiTe/NiS shows excellent OER activity with an ultralow overpotential of only 257 mV at a current density of 100 mA cm<sup>-2</sup> , and a Tafel slope of 49 mV dec<sup>-1</sup> in 1.0 m KOH. The calculated and experimental results reveal that the strong electron interaction on nanointerfaces induces electronic structure modulation, which optimizes the binding energy of *OOH intermediates, thus improving the OER performance.