Rational Design of One-Dimensional Bifunctional PBA Nanocomposites as Efficient Electrocatalysts for Oxygen Evolution Reaction

Abstract

The oxygen evolution reaction (OER), a critical half-reaction in water electrolysis, has garnered significant attention. However, sluggish OER kinetics has emerged as a major impediment to efficient electrochemical energy conversion. There is an urgent need to design novel electrocatalysts with optimized OER kinetics and enhanced intrinsic activity to improve overall OER performance. Herein, one-dimensional (1D) nanocomposites with high electrocatalytic activity were developed through the deposition of CoFePBA nanocubes onto the surface of MnO₂ nanowires. The electronic structure of the nanocomposite surface was modified, and the synergistic effects between transition metals were leveraged to enhance catalytic activity through the deposition of Prussian blue analog (PBA) nanocubes on manganese dioxide nanowires. Specifically, CoFePBA featured an open crystal structure that offered numerous electrochemical active sites and efficient charge transfer pathways. Additionally, the synergistic interactions between Co and Fe significantly reduced the OER overpotential. Additionally, the 1D rigid MnO₂ acted as protective armor, ensuring the stability of active sites within CoFePBA during the OER. The synthesized MnO₂@CoFePBA achieved an overpotential of 1.614 V at 10 mA/cm² and a small Tafel slope of 94 mV/dec and demonstrated stable performance for over 200 h. This work offers new insights into the rational design of various PBA-based nanocomposites with high activity and stability.

Keywords

One-dimensional materials / Nanocomposites / Prussian blue analog (PBA) / Synergistic effect / Electrocatalysts

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