Single atom tungsten doped ultrathin α-Ni(OH)2 for enhanced electrocatalytic water oxidation

Abstract Electrocatalytic water oxidation is a rate-determining step in the water splitting reaction. Here, we report one single atom W 6+ doped Ni(OH) 2 nanosheet sample (w-Ni(OH) 2 ) with an outstanding oxygen evolution reaction (OER) performance that is, in a 1 M KOH medium, an overpotential of 237 mV is obtained reaching a current density of 10 mA/cm 2 . Moreover, at high current density of 80 mA/cm 2 , the overpotential value is 267 mV. The corresponding Tafel slope is measured to be 33 mV/dec. The d 0 W 6+ atom with a low spin-state has more outermost vacant orbitals, resulting in more water and OH − groups being adsorbed on the exposed W sites of the Ni(OH) 2 nanosheet. Density functional theory (DFT)…

• NN
  National Natural Science Foundation of China

  Awards: 2017YFA0204800, 21603136, B14041
• CA
  Chinese Academy of Sciences
• RP
  Recruitment Program of Global Experts
• HE
  Higher Education Discipline Innovation Project

  Award: B14041
• IO
  Institute of High Energy Physics
• FR
  Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities

  Awards: GK201602007, B14041
• BS
  Beijing Synchrotron Radiation Facility
• HE
  High Energy Physics