NiCo2O4/MXene Hybrid as an Efficient Bifunctional Electrocatalyst for Oxygen Evolution and Reduction Reaction

For the advancement of electrochemical energy conversion and storage technologies, bifunctional electrocatalysts are crucial for efficiently driving both the oxygen evolution (OER) and reduction reactions (ORR). Cobalt-based spinel oxides are a class of promising bifunctional electrocatalysts. However their low electrical conductivity and stability may hinder further improvement. A novel composite material composed of NiCo₂O₄ nanoparticles integrated with emerging two dimensional MXene nanosheets (NiCo₂O₄/MXene) was developed. The successful integration of NiCo₂O₄ with MXene brings about a number of attractive structural features. This includes synergistic effects between NiCo₂O₄ and MXene, highly accessible surface areas, complete exposure of numerous active sites, and excellent electronic conductivity, all of which collectively contribute to the desirability of composite material for OER and ORR. The synthesized NiCo₂O₄/MXene composite showed extraordinary OER electrocatalytic activity with a lower overpotential of 360 mV at a current density of 10 mA/cm², and a small Tafel slope of 64 mV/dec compared to NiCo₂O₄, MXene and NiCo₂O₄+MXene (physically mixed). Additionally, NiCo₂O₄/MXene displays an ORR limiting current density of −4 mA/cm² and exhibited highest onset potential and half wave potential of 0.92 V and 0.72 V vs. RHE, respectively, for the ORR in alkaline media compared to NiCo₂O₄, MXene and NiCo₂O₄+MXene (physically mixed).