Metal organic framework derived high entropy layered hydroxides for efficient oxygen evolution reaction

Abstract The primary challenge in large-scale electrochemical hydrogen production via water splitting lies in the sluggish four-electron kinetics of the oxygen evolution reaction (OER), a key bottleneck in the process. Developing high-performance OER electrocatalysts is essential for addressing this limitation. In this work, we report the controllable synthesis of high-entropy layered hydroxides (HELH) under mild conditions for enhanced OER activity, addressing the limitations of conventional catalysts in component regulation. This mild reaction environment allows for precise control over both the fine structure and elemental composition of the resulting material. The synthesized catalyst achieves a current density of 100 mA cm−2 in 0.1 M KOH at an overpotential of 276 mV, with remarkable stability demonstrating no significant performance degradation after 100 h of continuous operation. The high-entropy engineering and fine nanostructure control present a new avenue for tackling issues of low intrinsic activity, limited active sites, and low conductivity in layered double hydroxide (LDH) catalysts during OER.