Operando unraveling photothermal-promoted dynamic active-sites generation in NiFe₂O₄ for markedly enhanced oxygen evolution.

ABSTRACT: The ability to develop highly active and low-cost electrocatalysts represents an important endeavor toward accelerating sluggish water-oxidation kinetics. Herein, we report the implementation and unraveling of the photothermal effect of spinel nanoparticles (NPs) on promoting dynamic active-sites generation to markedly enhance their oxygen evolution reaction (OER) activity via an integrated operando Raman and density functional theory (DFT) study. Specifically, NiFe₂O₄ (NFO) NPs are first synthesized by capitalizing on amphiphilic star-like diblock copolymers as nanoreactors. Upon the near-infrared light irradiation, the photothermal heating of the NFO-based electrode progressively raises the temperature, accompanied by a marked decrease of overpotential. Accor

SUBMITTER: Gao L 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7896297 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature