Self-Supported Hierarchical IrO₂@NiO Nanoflake Arrays as an Efficient and Durable Catalyst for Electrochemical Oxygen Evolution

Although traditional IrO2 nanoparticles loaded on a carbon support (IrO2@C) have been taken as a benchmark catalyst for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER), their catalytic efficiency, operation stability, and IrO2 utilization are far from satisfactory due to the inferior powdery structure and inevitable corrosion of both IrO2 and C under the oxidizing potentials. Here, a rational design of a self-supported hierarchical nanocomposite, composed of IrO2@NiO nanoparticle-built porous nanoflake arrays vertically growing on nickel foam, is proposed, which is demonstrated as a versatile strategy to achieve improved OER activity, remarkable long-term stability, and significantly reduced loading of IrO2 (0.62 atom %). Impressively, the resultant catalyst drives a steady OER current density of 10 mA cm–2, requiring 278 mV overpotential in 1.0 M KOH electrolyte for 25 h and outmaneuvring commercial IrO2@C with much higher mass loading. Further electrochemical investigation and mechanism analysis disclose that the greatly improved electrocatalytic activity stems from the advantageous hierarchical structure and the synergistic effect between IrO2 and underlying potential-induced NiOOH, whereas the outstanding durability is attributed to the unique role of NiO in preventing IrO2 dissolution.