Benzoate Anions-Intercalated Layered Nickel Hydroxide Nanobelts Array: An Earth-Abundant Electrocatalyst with Greatly Enhanced Oxygen Evolution Activity

The design and fabrication of earth-abundant and highly efficient water oxidation electrocatalysts are important for water splitting systems associated with the energy conversion and storage. In this work, we report an intercalation strategy to expand interlayer spacing of the layered structure and thus achieve great enhancement for water oxidation activity. Layered-structured nickel benzoate hydroxide nanobelts arrays on nickel foam (benzoate-Ni(OH)2/NF) are prepared by a one-step hydrothermal method. As-prepared benzoate-Ni(OH)2/NF exhibits outstanding oxygen evolution performance with the need of only 242 mV overpotential to drive a current density of 60 mA cm–2 in 1.0 M KOH, 126 mV lower than that for Ni(OH)2/NF. This catalyst electrode also has good stability with the maintenance of its catalytic activity for 27 h.