Preparation of Ni-doped ferrous oxalate nanorods electrocatalysts for oxygen evolution reaction

The development of new, efficient, and low-cost OER electrocatalysts with advanced structures is of great significance for hydrogen production by electrolysis of water. A Ni-doped ferrous oxalate nanorod electrocatalyst (Ni-FeC2O4) was synthesized using a one-step solvothermal method, which showed an outstanding OER activity with a low overpotential of 296 mV at 10 mA cm−2. The Ni-FeC2O4 electrocatalyst exhibited excellent OER stability in the 300 mV constant potential test, which was mainly attributed to the fact that Ni doping can increase the electrochemical active surface areas and the interfacial charge transfer abilities of the FeC2O4 electrocatalyst, optimize the electronic structure of the real active species ferric hydroxide, promote the formation of the decisive step *OOH of ferric hydroxide, and improve its intrinsic activity.