Preparation of Fe/P co-doped MMoO4 (M=Co, Cu and Zn) as environmentally friendly oxygen evolution reaction electrocatalyst

Hydrogen production from electrolyzed water has become an ideal new energy source for people to replace traditional fossil energy sources due to its high efficiency and low-carbon characteristics. Therefore, this paper presents preparation of a series of Fe/P co-doped MMoO4 (M=Co, Cu and Zn) catalyst loaded on nickel foam by simple hydrothermal and phosphorization process for the first time. After comparing different molybdate metal salts as precursors, it was demonstrated that the fabricated Fe/P co-doped CuMoO4 target catalysts possessed excellent catalytic performance with an overpotential of only 287 mV at a current density of 100 mA cm−2, faster reaction kinetics and a large active surface area for oxygen evolution reaction (OER). Density functional theory (DFT) calculation shows that the absorption energy of water and the electrical conductivity of the material are enhanced by the co-doping of the Fe and P. The doping of the Fe and P changes the electronic state and coordination environment of the active site, thus enhancing the catalytic activity of the electrode. The experimental results further prove that the doping of the Fe and P makes the active site more exposed and the resistance smaller, thus enhancing the conductivity and activation energy of the material. What is noteworthy is that the electrode also performed well in stability tests, which provided a fabrication solution of new catalyst for green hydrogen production.