Facile efficient earth abundant NiO/C composite electrocatalyst for the oxygen evolution reaction

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Electrochemistry
• Catalysis

Background:

• Increasing global energy consumption necessitates efficient electrocatalysts for electrochemical water splitting.
• Developing stable and active non-precious metal catalysts is crucial for sustainable energy technologies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To design and fabricate a facile and stable electrocatalyst for electrochemical water splitting.
• To investigate the electrocatalytic performance of NiO/C composites in alkaline media.

Main Methods:

• A wet chemical method was employed to synthesize NiO nanostructures on a high-surface-area carbon material derived from sucrose.
• Electrochemical techniques, including cyclic voltammetry and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, were used to evaluate catalyst performance.

Main Results:

• The NiO/C composite exhibited enhanced activity for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) in alkaline solution.
• A NiO/C composite with 200 mg C achieved current densities of 10 and 20 mA cm⁻² at low overpotentials (1.45 V and 1.47 V vs. RHE).
• The composite demonstrated the lowest charge transfer resistance and highest double layer capacitance, indicating robust electrocatalytic activity.

Conclusions:

• The developed NiO/C composite is a promising, scalable, and cost-effective electrocatalyst for water splitting.
• The carbon support enhances active sites and improves the stability and activity of NiO nanostructures.
• This material holds potential for applications in supercapacitors and lithium-ion batteries.