Surface-Reconstructed NiFeCr@Ni Felt as a High-Performance Integrated Anode for Anion Exchange Membrane Water Electrolysis

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J. Mater. Chem. A, 2026, Accepted ManuscriptDOI: 10.1039/D6TA02367C, PaperXinyu Sun, Yuanman Ni, Hongli Ma, Baokuan Chen, Miaomiao Liu, Shujuan Wang, Tongshuai Wang, Hao Zhang, Jian-Qiang Wang, Linjuan ZhangAnion exchange membrane water electrolysis (AEMWE) i…

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Surface-Reconstructed NiFeCr@Ni Felt as a High-Performance Integrated Anode for Anion Exchange Membrane Water Electrolysis

Abstract

Anion exchange membrane water electrolysis (AEMWE) is recognized as a highly promising technology for green hydrogen production due to its compatibility with non-precious metal catalysts and its favorable operational flexibility. However, the long-term stability and large-scale implementation of AEMWE are severely hindered by the weak interfacial adhesion between the porous transport layers (PTL) and the catalyst layer, as well as the complexity of conventional electrode fabrication processes. Herein, an integrated NiFeCr@Ni felt anode electrode is developed through a controlled surface reconstruction strategy. A NiFe alloy@Cr(OH)₃ gradient-structured precatalyst was first grown in situ on a commercial nickel felt substrate via cathodic electrodeposition, followed by surface reconstruction using either electrochemical oxidation (ECO) or hydrothermal oxidation (HTO). Systematic investigations reveal that hydrothermal oxidation effectively converts the unstable surface Cr(OH)₃ species into a robust, alkali-resistant Cr₂O₃ protective layer, which preserves an optimal amount of Cr while promoting the formation of highly active NiFe (oxy)hydroxide phases. The resulting electrode delivers acceptable‌ AEMWE single-cell performance, achieving a current density of 1 A cm⁻² at a cell voltage of only 1.75 V. Remarkably, it exhibits an relatively low voltage degradation rate of 0.10 mV h⁻¹ over 500 h with continuous operation at 1 A cm⁻², significantly outperforming its electrochemically oxidized counterpart with a degradation rate of 0.65 mV h⁻¹. Microstructural analysis reveals that the superior durability originates from the Cr₂O₃ protective layer, which effectively suppresses excessive Fe leaching and maintains a favorable surface Ni/Fe atomic ratio of approximately 2.7. This work provides a novel design strategy for constructing high-activity, long-lifetime integrated electrodes through precise control over the surface reconstruction of multimetallic alloys.