A New High Entropy Glycerate for High Performance Oxygen Evolution Reaction

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Electrochemistry
• Catalysis

Background:

• Developing efficient and cost-effective electrocatalysts is crucial for water splitting.
• Noble metal-based catalysts are effective but expensive.
• High entropy materials offer tunable properties for catalysis.

Purpose of the Study:

• To synthesize and characterize a novel noble metal-free high entropy glycerate (HEG).
• To evaluate the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) activity and stability of the HEG.
• To assess the performance of an electrolyzer utilizing the HEG for overall water splitting.

Main Methods:

• Solvothermal synthesis of the high entropy glycerate (HEG) material.
• Electrochemical characterization including OER activity and stability tests in 1 M KOH.
• Fabrication and testing of a HEG@HEG electrolyzer for overall water splitting.

Main Results:

• The synthesized HEG, composed of Fe, Ni, Co, Cr, and Mn, exhibited superior OER activity compared to its subsystems.
• Low overpotentials of 229 mV and 278 mV at 10 and 100 mA cm⁻², respectively, were achieved.
• The HEG demonstrated excellent stability and durability in alkaline media.
• The HEG@HEG electrolyzer achieved a current density of 10 mA cm⁻² at a cell voltage of 1.63 V with good durability.

Conclusions:

• The synergistic effect in the high entropy structure significantly enhances OER performance.
• Noble metal-free HEGs are promising electrocatalysts for efficient water splitting.
• The developed HEG material offers a cost-effective alternative for electrochemical applications.