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Published on: November 4, 2022
SILAR deposited iron phosphate as a bifunctional electrocatalyst for efficient water splitting
P T Babar1, A C Lokhande1, H J Shim1
1Optoelectronic Convergence Research Center, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Chonnam National University, Gwangju 500-757, South Korea.
Iron phosphate (FePi) electrodes, synthesized at room temperature, demonstrate high efficiency and stability for both oxygen and hydrogen evolution reactions in water splitting. This earth-abundant catalyst offers a scalable approach for efficient hydrogen production.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Electrochemistry
- Catalysis
Background:
- Developing efficient and earth-abundant electrocatalysts for overall water splitting remains a significant challenge.
- Electrocatalysts are crucial for facilitating the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) and hydrogen evolution reaction (HER).
Purpose of the Study:
- To synthesize and evaluate iron phosphate (FePi) as a bifunctional electrocatalyst for overall water splitting.
- To investigate the electrocatalytic activity, stability, and potential applications of FePi electrodes.
Main Methods:
- Iron phosphate (FePi) electrodes were synthesized using a successive ionic layer deposition and reaction (SILAR) method on a nickel foam substrate at room temperature.
- Electrocatalytic performance for OER and HER was assessed through overpotential measurements and long-term stability tests.
- An electrolyzer utilizing FePi as both anode and cathode was constructed and tested.
Main Results:
- The FePi electrodes exhibited excellent electrocatalytic activity and stability for both OER and HER.
- Low overpotentials of 230 mV for OER and 157 mV for HER were recorded.
- The constructed electrolyzer required a cell potential of 1.67 V to achieve a current density of 10 mA cm⁻² in 1 M KOH.
Conclusions:
- The FePi electrode demonstrates exceptional bifunctional electrocatalytic activity and stability for water splitting.
- The catalyst's performance is attributed to its structure, active metal sites, increased surface area, accelerated electron transport, and promoted reaction kinetics.
- This study presents a facile and scalable method for designing high-efficiency, earth-abundant electrocatalysts for water splitting applications.
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