Interface engineering of NiTe/NiCo-LDH core-shell structure to enhance oxygen evolution electrocatalysis performance

Non-noble metal-based heterostructures have emerged as a promising strategy to construct high-efficient electrocatalysts for the Oxygen evolution reaction. Herein, we reported a three-dimensional core-shell heterostructures of NiTe/NiCo-LDH (NiCo layered double hydroxides) on the Ni foam to resolve the low electronic conductivity and self-aggregation of NiCo-LDH. This NiTe/NiCo-LDH electrocatalyst could be prepared from a two-step reaction as a hydrothermal reaction and electrodeposition approach. Benefiting from the existence of strong interface effects between the NiTe nanorod core and NiCo-LDH nanosheet shell, the NiTe/NiCo-LDH electrocatalyst exhibited superior activity for the Oxygen evolution reaction at a current density of 100 mA cm−2 with an overpotential of 376 mV in 1.0 M KOH solution, which was significantly smaller than that of a single component of NiTe (586 mV), NiCo-LDH (410 mV) and commercial RuO2 (428 mV). Furthermore, the NiTe/NiCo-LDH catalyst indicated long-term stability after 24 h continuous working. Density functional theory computations unveil that the heterostructures modified the original electronic structures and weakened the atomic interaction in the LDH layers, which have effectively adjusted the d-band center of the catalytic active Co sites to the Fermi level. This work demonstrated an effective strategy of interfacial engineering to optimize electron transfer to boost Oxygen evolution reaction performance.