Work

W‐B Dual Electron‐Donation Arrests Amorphous‐to‐Crystalline Transformation: Achieving Highly‐Stable Amorphous Electrocatalysts with Low Overpotential

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: ABSTRACT Amorphous catalysts exhibit superior oxygen evolution reaction (OER) activity compared to their crystalline counterparts due to their higher density of active sites. However, they suffer from significant activity loss caused by crystallization during operation. The amorphous structural preservation under operational conditions remains challenging. Here, we report a tungsten‐boron (W‐B) dual electron‐donation strategy to stabilize amorphous NiFe alloys while enhancing activity. Theoretical calculations reveal that dual electron injection from W and B into Ni/Fe sites modulates their electronic states, strengthening the adsorption between Ni/Fe sites and oxo‐intermediates while reducing *O to *OOH energy barrier, thus lowering overpotentials. Experimental characterizations show that W‐B dual electron‐donation arrests amorphous‐to‐crystalline transformation and stabilizes Ni‐Fe active species. The optimized NiFeWB catalyst achieves a low overpotential of 193 mV at 20 mA/cm 2 and demonstrates exceptional stability—sustaining 500 h stability at an industrial current density (250 mA/cm 2 ) with ultra‐small potential drift (0.6 µV/h). The dual electron‐donation strategy offers a viable pathway for designing next‐generation, highly stable amorphous electrocatalysts.

Source: Advanced Functional Materials

DOI: 10.1002/adfm.202522212