Achieving High-Performance OER Catalysis with Dual-Site Modulated Fe-Based Perovskites

Efficient and cost-effective oxygen evolution reaction (OER) catalysts are crucial for advancing water electrolysis in hydrogen production and renewable energy storage. Noble metal-based catalysts like RuO₂ and IrO₂ are effective but costly and unstable. While Fe-based perovskite oxides offer a promising alternative due to iron’s abundance, low cost, and environmental friendliness compared to Co-based catalysts, they typically suffer from low intrinsic OER activity and poor stability. To address these limitations, we introduce a dual-site modulation strategy by incorporating Ba into the A-site and Ni into the B-site of NdFeO_3-δ, forming a double perovskite structure. The resulting Nd_0.8Ba_1.2Fe_1.6Ni_0.4O_6-δ (NBFN) catalyst demonstrates a low onset potential of 237 mV, an overpotential of 320 mV at 10 mA/cm², a Tafel slope of 63.23 mV/dec, and stability over 20 hours. NBFN outperforms traditional noble metal catalysts, highlighting dual-site modulation as an effective approach for enhancing Fe-based perovskite' OER performance and achieving high-performance, cost-effective electrocatalysts.