FeNi doped porous carbon as an efficient catalyst for oxygen evolution reaction

Polymer-derived porous carbon was used as a support of iron and nickel species with an objective to obtain an efficient oxygen reduction reaction (OER) catalyst. The surface features were extensively characterized using X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy. On FeNi-modified carbon the overpotential for OER was very low (280 mV) and comparable to that on noble metal catalyst IrO2. The electrochemical properties have been investigated to reveal the difference between the binary alloy- and single metal-doped carbons. This work demonstrates a significant step for the development of low-cost, environmentally-friendly and highly-efficient OER catalysts. [graphic not available: see fulltext]