Yuke and Zhaojun's paper , "Tailoring Ni-Fe-B electronic effects in layered double hydroxides for enhanced oxygen evolution activity", has been accepted for publication in Small. Congratulations for the great work!

Title：Tailoring Ni-Fe-B electronic effects in layered double hydroxides for enhanced oxygen evolution activity

Authors: Yuke Bai,# Zhaojun Liu,# Xiaoxiao Wang, Zhixue Zhang, Kai Liu, and Chuanbo Gao*

Link to the Publisher: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/smll.202407564

Abstract: NiFe layered double hydroxides (LDHs) are state-of-the-art catalysts for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) in alkaline media, yet they still face significant overpotentials. Here, we introduce quantitative boron (B) doping in NiFe LDHs (ranging from 0 to 20.3%) to effectively tailor the Ni-Fe-B electronic interactions for enhanced OER performance. Our co-hydrolysis synthesis approach synchronizes the hydrolysis rates of Ni and Fe precursors with the formation rate of B-O-M (M: Ni, Fe) bonds, ensuring precise B doping into the NiFe LDHs. We demonstrate that B, as an electron-deficient element, acts as an “electron sink” at doping levels from 0 to 13.5%, facilitating the transition of Ni2+ to the active Ni3+δ, thereby accelerating OER kinetics. However, excessive B doping (13.5%-20.3%) effectively generates oxygen vacancies in the LDHs, which increases electron density at Ni2+ sites and hinders their transition to Ni3+δ, thereby reducing OER activity. Optimal OER performance is achieved at a B doping level of 13.5%, with an overpotential of only 208 mV to reach a current density of 500 mA cm-2, placing it among the most effective OER catalysts to date. This Ni-Fe-B electronic engineering opens new avenues for developing highly efficient anode catalysts for water-splitting hydrogen production.