Facile surface laser modification of nickel foams for efficient water oxidation electrocatalysis

Despite the recent efforts and progress on the transition metal-based electrocatalysts for water splitting, it is still a challenge to fabricate oxygen evolution reaction electrocatalysts with high performance, simultaneously via a simple, facile, and environment-friendly way. Herein, we report a facile strategy for the fabrication of NiFe oxides-based micro/nano-structures on Ni foams via simple femtosecond laser ablation, where the Ni : Fe ratio can be readily tuned by changing the amount of Fe precursors dropped on the Ni foams. The resulted electrocatalysts exhibit excellent oxygen evolution reaction activity with low overpotentials of 221 and 241 mV at 25 and 50 mA cm−2, and good long-term durability under high current density in alkaline condition, suggesting great potentials for practical applications.