Vertical Growth of 2D Amorphous FePO₄ Nanosheet on Ni Foam: Outer and Inner Structural Design for Superior Water Splitting

Abstract

Rational design of highly efficient bifunctional electrocatalysts based on 3D transition-metal-based materials for oxygen evolution reaction (OER) and hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) is of great importance for sustainable energy conversion processes. Herein, a novel strategy involving outer and inner structural engineering is developed for superior water splitting via in situ vertical growth of 2D amorphous FePO₄ nanosheets on Ni foam (Am FePO₄ /NF). Careful experiments and density functional theory calculations show that the inner and outer structural engineering contributing to the synergistic effects of 2D morphology, amorphous structure, conductive substrate, and Ni-Fe mixed phosphate lead to superior electrocatalytic activity toward OER and HER. Furthermore, a two-electrode electrolyzer assembled using Am FePO₄ /NF as an electrocatalyst at both electrodes gives current densities of 10 and 100 mA cm^-2 at potentials of 1.54 and 1.72 V, respectively, which is comparable to the best bifunctional electrocatalyst reported in the literature. The strategies, introduced in the present work, may open new opportunities for the rational design of other 3D transition-metal-based electrocatalyst through an outer and inner structural control to strengthen the electrocatalytic performance.