Ultrafast construction of interfacial sites by wet chemical etching to enhance electrocatalytic oxygen evolution

Interface engineering has been recognized as a highly effective strategy for regulating the surface properties and improving the catalytic activities of materials, while the traditional interface construction methods are energy consumption and time-consuming. Herein, an ultrafast (30 s) interfacial reaction strategy is developed to construct the NiCo-LDH@FeOOH hetero-interface structure integrated on carbon fiber paper (NiCo-LDH@FeOOH/CFP) by a wet chemical etching method, which is involved in the Fe3+-triggered H+ ions formation and etching as well as the Fe3+ ions hydrolysis. The as-made NiCo-LDH@FeOOH/CFP features enriched interfacial active sites and finely modulated electron structure, thus realizing the remarkable electrocatalytic activity and durability for water oxidation with an ultralow overpotential of only 224 mV to deliver 10 mA cm−2. Furthermore, this ultrafast interfacial reaction strategy can be expanded to construct other Ni-containing hydroxide@FeOOH hetero-interface structure, which will shed a new light on the further construction of bi/multi component hetero-structure materials in electrocatalysis and energy-related fields. NiCo-LDH@FeOOH with hetero-interface structure integrated on carbon fiber paper is configured via an ultrafast (30 s) interfacial reaction strategy, involved in wet chemical etching, Fe3+ hydrolysis and Fe(OH)3 dehydrating processes on NiCo-LDH surface. The hetero-structure hybrids feature enriched interfacial active sites and finely modulated electron structure, thus delivering an ultralow overpotential of 224 mV at 10 mA cm−2. [Display omitted] •Ultrafast (30 s) interfacial reaction strategy is developed to construct the NiCo-LDH@FeOOH hetero-interface structure.•The reaction involved in Fe3+-induced H+ ions formation, etching and Fe3+ ions hydrolysis.•This ultrafast interfacial reaction strategy shows excellent universality.•The NiCo-LDH@FeOOH/CFP exhibits excellent oxygen evolution reaction activity and stability.