High Entropy Alloy CoCrFeNiMo Reinforced Electrocatalytic Performance for High-Efficient Electrocatalytic Water...

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Electrochemistry
• Renewable Energy

Background:

• Efficient electrocatalysts are crucial for a hydrogen economy, especially in alkaline environments.
• High entropy alloys (HEAs) offer tunable properties for catalytic applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate CoCrFeNi and CoCrFeNiMo HEAs as bifunctional electrocatalysts for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER).
• To evaluate the electrocatalytic performance and durability of these HEAs in alkaline media.

Main Methods:

• Synthesis of CoCrFeNi and CoCrFeNiMo HEA powders.
• Electrochemical characterization including HER and OER performance testing in 1.0 M KOH.
• Comparison with commercial catalysts like Pt/C and RuO2.

Main Results:

• CoCrFeNi and CoCrFeNiMo HEAs demonstrated good HER activity with overpotentials of 156.7 mV and 160.5 mV at 10 mA cm-2, respectively.
• The CoCrFeNiMo catalyst exhibited superior OER activity compared to commercial RuO2, with an overpotential of 390 mV at 50 mA cm-2.
• Water splitting using the HEA catalyst achieved a cell voltage of 1.86 V at 10 mA cm-2.

Conclusions:

• CoCrFeNi and CoCrFeNiMo HEAs are effective bifunctional electrocatalysts for HER and OER in alkaline media.
• These HEAs present a viable alternative to precious metal catalysts for hydrogen production and water splitting.
• Further research into HEA optimization can enhance their performance for a sustainable hydrogen economy.