Layered Structure Causes Bulk NiFe Layered Double Hydroxide Unstable in Alkaline Oxygen Evolution Reaction

NiFe-based layered double hydroxides (LDHs) are among the most efficient oxygen evolution reaction (OER) catalysts in alkaline medium, but their long-term OER stabilities are questionable. In this work, it is demonstrated that the layered structure makes bulk NiFe LDH intrinsically not stable in OER and the deactivation mechanism of NiFe LDH in OER is further revealed. Both operando electrochemical and structural characterizations show that the interlayer basal plane in bulk NiFe LDH contributes to the OER activity, and the slow diffusion of proton acceptors (e.g., OH⁻) within the NiFe LDH interlayers during OER causes dissolution of NiFe LDH and therefore decrease in OER activity with time. To improve diffusion of proton acceptors, it is proposed to delaminate NiFe LDH into atomically thin nanosheets, which is able to effectively improve OER stability of NiFe LDH especially at industrial operating conditions such as elevated operating temperatures (e.g., at 80 °C) and large current densities (e.g., at 500 mA cm⁻²).