Abstract
We have investigated the OER performance of Fe-coated Ni meshes via direct immersion of the samples in selected Fe-bearing solutions. In all cases, we were able to detect an enhancement of the OER performance, with the NM samples immersed in 20 mM Fe(NO3)3 and 20 mM FeCl2 solutions showing the best activity. The stability of the electrodes could be verified for 24 hours. Furthermore, our in-situ Raman spectroscopic studies have pinpointed the oxidation of Ni preceding the OER process; a direct relation between the activity and the detected Raman signal could be observed. Our results appear to pave the way for establishing Raman spectroscopy as a promising method of choice for identifying the active phase in Ni-bearing systems.