Enhancing Glycerol Oxidation by Electrodeposited Reductive Ni2Co-LDHs with Enlarged Interlayer Space

Abstract

Sluggish kinetics of the electrocatalytic glycerol oxidation reaction (GOR) hinders its development. Accordingly, we electrodeposit Ni₂Co-LDHs ultrafast on nickel foam (E-Ni₂Co-LDHs/NF) to both improve the Ni²⁺ ratio and enlarge interlayer space for enhancing electrochemical GOR. Results indicate that E-Ni₂Co-LDHs/NF with a Ni²⁺/Ni³⁺ ratio of 1.309 and interlayer space of 16.2 Å is successfully synthesized. E-Ni₂Co-LDHs/NF-catalyzed GOR can achieve 10 mA cm^–2 at 1.24 V vs RHE owing to more active sites provided. Further analysis indicates that more Ni²⁺ is favorable to NiOOH formation and that the enlarged interlayer space facilitates the subsequent transfer of NiOOH, thereby promoting the GOR process. E-Ni₂Co-LDHs/NF finally reduces working potential of 1.54 V to reach the current density of 10 mA cm^–2 in a H-type cell, compared to overall water splitting (1.75 V@10 mA cm^–2). This work reports a new strategy to enhance GOR by promoting the formation and subsequent transfer of NiOOH, thereby offering a promising approach for H₂ production.