Recent progress in NiFe-based catalysts for the high current density oxygen evolution reaction

Abstract

The global transition to green hydrogen via water electrolysis is constrained by the sluggish oxygen evolution reaction (OER), particularly at high current densities required for industrial applications. Among Earth-abundant materials, nickel-iron (NiFe)-based compounds have emerged as leading candidates, offering intrinsic activity, synergistic interactions, and cost advantages that reduce the OER energy barrier, positioning them as viable alternatives to noble-metal catalysts such as IrO2 and RuO2. Yet, achieving long-term activity and structural stability at high current densities (HCDs) remains a critical challenge. This review highlights strategies to advance NiFe-based OER catalysts for sustained high-current operation, focusing on recent innovations including heteroatom doping, vacancy engineering, heterostructure formation, active-site modulation, and self-healing mechanisms. Developments across oxides, (oxy)hydroxides, non-metallic heteroatomic composites, layered double hydroxides, metal-organic framework-derived materials, and noble-metal-integrated hybrids are examined to provide a rational design framework for robust and efficient OER catalysts. Key pathways to tune morphology, composition, and electronic structure are identified, offering insights to bridge the gap between laboratory-scale studies and scalable electrolyzer deployment.