A high-performance electrode based on Ce-doped nickel‑cobalt layered double hydroxide growth on carbon nanotubes for efficient oxygen evolution

High activity, stability, and affordability are the main properties of electrocatalysts for oxygen evolution reaction (OER), which make them good candidates for replacing precious catalysts, such as IrO2 and RuO2, and thus provide a solution for preparing renewable energy, including water-splitting and rechargeable metal-air batteries. Here, we report an impressive electrocatalytic activity for the OER by cerium-doped nickel‑cobalt layered double hydroxide (Ce-doped NiCo-LDH) nanohybrid grown on a scaffold of carbon nanotube (CNT). The structure and morphology of the Ce-doped NiCo-LDH/CNT catalyst were analyzed by TEM, FESEM, EDS, XRD, FTIR, TGA, BET, and Raman techniques. The catalyst displayed excellent electrochemical performance in water oxidation. The prepared electrode at the current density of 10 mA cm−2 showed the overpotential (η) of 236 mV and the Tafel slope was 56 mV dec−1 in the 1 M KOH. The NiCoCe-LDH/CNT nanohybrid exhibited higher electrocatalytic activity and durability for oxygen evolution than the commercially costly metal Ir and Ru catalysts.