Organic Small Molecule Activates Transition Metal Foam for Efficient Oxygen Evolution Reaction

Abstract

Developing low-cost, highly efficient, and durable electrocatalysts for oxygen evolution reaction (OER) is essential for the practical application of electrochemical water splitting. Herein, it is discovered that organic small molecule (hexabromobenzene, HBB) can activate commercial transition metal (Ni, Fe, and NiFe) foam by directly evolving metal nanomeshes embedded in graphene-like films (M-NM@G) through a facile Br-induced solid-phase migration process. Systematic investigations indicate that HBB can conformally generate graphene-like network on bulk metal foam substrate via the cleavage of CBr bonds and the formation of CC linkage. Simultaneously, the cleaved CBr fragments can effic..