W‐B Dual Electron‐Donation Arrests Amorphous‐to‐Crystalline Transformation: Achieving Highly‐Stable Amorphous Electrocatalysts with Low Overpotential

ABSTRACT Amorphous catalysts exhibit superior oxygen evolution reaction (OER) activity compared to their crystalline counterparts due to their higher density of active sites. However, they suffer from significant activity loss caused by crystallization during operation. The amorphous structural preservation under operational conditions remains challenging. Here, we report a tungsten‐boron (W‐B) dual electron‐donation strategy to stabilize amorphous NiFe alloys while enhancing activity. Theoretical calculations reveal that dual electron injection from W and B into Ni/Fe sites modulates their electronic states, strengthening the adsorption between Ni/Fe sites and oxo‐intermediates while reducing *O to *OOH energy barrier, thus lowering overpotentials. Experimental characterizations show that W‐B dual electron‐donation arrests amorphous‐to‐crystalline transformation and stabilizes Ni‐Fe active species. The optimized NiFeWB catalyst achieves a low overpotential of 193 mV at 20 mA/cm 2 and demonstrates exceptional stability—sustaining 500 h stability at an industrial current density (250 mA/cm 2 ) with ultra‐small potential drift (0.6 µV/h). The dual electron‐donation strategy offers a viable pathway for designing next‐generation, highly stable amorphous electrocatalysts.

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Publication Details

Journal
Advanced Functional Materials
Published
2025-12-26
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1002/adfm.202522212
Primary Topic
Electrocatalysts for Energy Conversion
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
0.00

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article

W‐B Dual Electron‐Donation Arrests Amorphous‐to‐Crystalline Transformation: Achieving Highly‐Stable Amorphous Electrocatalysts with Low Overpotential

Xin Jin, Yong Wu, Xiaodie Wang Xiaodie Wang, Peng Yu et al.
Advanced Functional Materials
Electrocatalysts for Energy Conversion
article

W‐B Dual Electron‐Donation Arrests Amorphous‐to‐Crystalline Transformation: Achieving Highly‐Stable Amorphous Electrocatalysts with Low Overpotential

Xin Jin, Yong Wu, Xiaodie Wang Xiaodie Wang, Peng Yu, Xiaolong Guo, Zhenxiang Cheng, Yundan Xiao
article en

Abstract

ABSTRACT Amorphous catalysts exhibit superior oxygen evolution reaction (OER) activity compared to their crystalline counterparts due to their higher density of active sites. However, they suffer from significant activity loss caused by crystallization during operation. The amorphous structural preservation under operational conditions remains challenging. Here, we report a tungsten‐boron (W‐B) dual electron‐donation strategy to stabilize amorphous NiFe alloys while enhancing activity. Theoretical calculations reveal that dual electron injection from W and B into Ni/Fe sites modulates their electronic states, strengthening the adsorption between Ni/Fe sites and oxo‐intermediates while reducing *O to *OOH energy barrier, thus lowering overpotentials. Experimental characterizations show that W‐B dual electron‐donation arrests amorphous‐to‐crystalline transformation and stabilizes Ni‐Fe active species. The optimized NiFeWB catalyst achieves a low overpotential of 193 mV at 20 mA/cm 2 and demonstrates exceptional stability—sustaining 500 h stability at an industrial current density (250 mA/cm 2 ) with ultra‐small potential drift (0.6 µV/h). The dual electron‐donation strategy offers a viable pathway for designing next‐generation, highly stable amorphous electrocatalysts.

Advanced Functional Materials
Chongqing Normal University (CN), University of Wollongong (AU)
National Natural Science Foundation of China, Natural Science Foundation of Chongqing, Chongqing Municipal Education Commission, Centre Scientifique et Technique du Bâtiment
Openalex Percentile: Top 52%
Electrocatalysts for Energy Conversion
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W‐B Dual Electron‐Donation Arrests Amorphous‐to‐Crystalline Transformation: Achieving Highly‐Stable Amorphous Electrocatalysts with Low Overpotential — Xin Jin, Yong Wu, et al. · Advanced Functional Materials (2025) | TGRS Research Map | TGRS