Defect-enriched iron fluoride-oxide nanoporous thin films bifunctional catalyst for water splitting

Developing cost-effective electrocatalysts operated in the same electrolyte for water splitting, including oxygen and hydrogen evolution reactions, is important for clean energy technology and devices. Defects in electrocatalysts strongly influence their chemical properties and electronic structures, and can dramatically improve electrocatalytic performance. However, the development of defect-activated electrocatalyst with an efficient and stable water electrolysis activity in alkaline medium remains a challenge, and the understanding of catalytic origin is still limited. Here, we highlight defect-enriched bifunctional eletrocatalyst, namely, three-dimensional iron fluoride-oxide nanoporous films, fabricated by anodization/fluorination process. The heterogeneous films with high electrical conductivity possess embedded disorder phases in crystalline lattices, and contain numerous scattered defects, including interphase boundaries, stacking faults, oxygen vacancies, and dislocations on the surfaces/interface. The heterocatalysts efficiently catalyze water splitting in basic electrolyte with remarkable stability. Experimental studies and first-principle calculations suggest that the surface/edge defects contribute significantly to their high performance.