Cost-Effective NiCoFe Nanoflower Electrocatalysts for Efficient and Sustainable Bifunctional Water Splitting

Son Thuy Nguyen; Thi Bich Thuy Hoang; Thi Anh Le

doi:10.62239/jca.2026.028

Authors

Nguyen Son Thuy School of Chemistry and Life Sciences, Hanoi University of Science and Technology
Hoang Thi Bich Thuy School of Chemistry and Life Sciences, Hanoi University of Science and Technology
Le Thi Anh School of Chemistry and Life Sciences, Hanoi University of Science and Technology

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.62239/jca.2026.028

Keywords:

Electrochemical water splitting, HER, OER, bifunctional electrocatalyst, NiCoFe, nanoflower

Abstract

The development of efficient, durable, and cost-effective electrocatalysts is essential for large-scale water splitting toward sustainable hydrogen production. However, the sluggish kinetics of the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) remain a major bottleneck, often requiring noble-metal-based catalysts. In this context, bifunctional electrocatalysts capable of driving both the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) and hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) offer a promising strategy to simplify system design and reduce overall costs. Herein, a NiCoFe nanoflower catalyst is designed as an efficient bifunctional electrode for overall water splitting. The effect of Fe incorporation on catalytic performance is systematically investigated, revealing a composition-performance dependence. The optimized catalyst delivers overpotentials of 298 mV at 100 mA.cm⁻² for OER and 143 mV at 10 mA.cm⁻² for HER. The enhanced performance is attributed to the nanoflower morphology and synergistic interactions among Ni, Co, and Fe, which promote charge transfer and reaction kinetics.

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