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

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−2, and a Tafel slope of 49 mV dec−1 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.

Manipulating Interfaces of Electrocatalysts Down to Atomic Scales: Fundamentals, Strategies, and Electrocatalytic Applications

“…The electronic structure of d‐band center of Ni could be tuned by introducing NiS nanodots on the NiTe interface, which drove electrons to transfer from Ni to S and reduced the binding strength of intermediates, leading to a low reaction barrier of the RLS during the OER process. [ 171 ] As presented in the schematic in Figure a, the charge transfer and separation occurred at the FeNi‐LDH/CoP interfaces after the formation of p–n junctions, leading to a positively charged FeNi‐LDH side, in accordance with the X‐ray absorption near edge structure (XANES) results (Figure 6b,c). As a result, DFT calculation results verified that *OH intermediate adsorbed more strongly on the surface of FeNi‐LDH side in the p–n junction than the individual FeNi‐LDH, leading to the enhanced OER activity (Figure 6d).…”

Unveiling the Promotion of Surface‐Adsorbed Chalcogenate on the Electrocatalytic Oxygen Evolution Reaction

“…The d band center ( ϵ d ) of NiOOH + SeO4 is closer to the Fermi level than the bare NiOOH, performing a stronger bonding with the OER intermediates (Figure 3 b). [18] And the electron accumulation on the Ni site as adsorbate indicates the enhanced adsorption of O* (Figure 3 c). These results indicate that the surface‐adsorbed selenates can promote the OER activity by facilitating the adsorption of the OER intermediates.…”

Modulating Electronic Structure of Metal-Organic Frameworks by Introducing Atomically Dispersed Ru for Efficient Hydrogen Evolution

“…show two characteristic peaks at 855.6 eV and 873.2 eV, identi ed as Ni 2p 3/2 and Ni 2p 1/2 severally, which were the characteristic peaks of the Ni 2+ . [57,58] The Ni 2p binding energy of NiRu 0.13 -BDC is higher than that of Ni-BDC, suggesting strong electron interaction between Ni and Ru atoms and electron depletion on Ni. The O 1 s spectra in Fig.…”