Regulation of high-valence W-doped FeCo-LDHs promotes efficient alkaline exchange membrane water electrolysis with long-term stability

Alkaline water electrolysis (AWE) is a key technology for scalable green hydrogen production. However, its widespread adoption is hampered by the anode's primary challenge—the slow kinetics of the oxygen evolution reaction (OER). While transition metal-based materials can improve in activity through doping and morphology control, achieving long-term stability remains challenging. Doping with high-valence metals such as tungsten can modulate electronic structure, facilitate the formation of active high-valence iron, and improve OER activity. In this study, a W-doped FeCo catalyst supported on nickel foam (W–FeCo–NF) was fabricated via a two-stage hydrothermal method. The material showed an overpotential of 347 mV at 100 mA cm −2 (1 M KOH). Moreover, it demonstrated remarkable durability, maintaining stable operation for over 400 h at 200 mA cm −2 in the electrolyzer. This work offers a viable pathway to efficient, durable, and cost-effective OER electrocatalysts, contributing to the advancement of green hydrogen technologies.