OER Catalytic performances of self-supporting NiFe-LDH/Ti3C2Tx/NF composite modified by plasma discharge treatment

Abstract

Hydrogen production via water electrolysis is gaining attention as a method of renewable energy storage for its efficiency and eco-friendliness. However, efficient catalysts are still lacking to overcome the slow kinetics of the oxygen evolution reaction (OER). In this study, we synthesized a composite catalyst consisting of NiFe-layered double hydroxide (NiFe-LDH) and titanium carbide MXene (Ti₃C₂T_x) for catalyzing the oxygen evolution reaction in electrochemical water splitting. The composite catalyst was optimized through a plasma discharge treatment for introducing oxygen vacancy and integrating it with nickel foam (NF) as support. This optimized catalyst O_v-NiFe-LDH/Ti₃C₂T_x/NF exhibits remarkable catalytic activity and stability. At a current density of 100 mA/cm², the required overpotential is a mere 229 mV, and it sustains high catalytic performance even after 20 h of operation at a substantial current density of 1000 mA/cm². Our findings offer valuable insights into the development of efficient OER catalysts for water splitting applications.