Hydrothermally Grown NiFe Layered Double Hydroxide on Hastelloy Fiber Paper for the Oxygen Evolution Reaction in Anion-Exchange Membrane Water Electrolysis

Hastelloy fiber paper (HAP) exhibits excellent corrosion resistance, electrical conductivity, and structural robustness; however, its application as a porous transport layer (PTL) in water electrolysis systems remains relatively underexplored. In this study, a highly active non-noble metal electrocatalyst, NiFe layered double hydroxide (NiFe-LDH), is grown in situ on HAP via a hydrothermal method to form a nanosheet-structured electrode with enhanced performance. During the oxygen evolution reaction (OER), the NiFe-LDH undergoes surface reconstruction, leading to the formation of FeOOH active species, which facilitate the optimization of reaction intermediate adsorption and improve catalytic efficiency. In single-cell tests of anion exchange membrane water electrolysis (AEMWE), the NiFe-LDH/HAP electrode achieves a high current density exceeding 1600 mA cm–2 at 2.0 V and 70 °C. Moreover, after 5000 cycles of accelerated stress testing (AST) and prolonged chronopotentiometric operation, the performance degradation is limited to only 1.9% and 4.4%, respectively, demonstrating excellent electrochemical stability. These results highlight the significant potential of NiFe-LDH/HAP for high-efficiency AEMWE systems and provide valuable insights into the development of high-performance, non-noble metal-based water electrolysis technologies.