Synergistically coupled CoMo/Fe₂O₃ electrocatalyst for highly efficient and stable overall water splitting

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Electrochemistry
• Catalysis

Background:

• Efficient overall water splitting requires advanced bifunctional electrocatalysts.
• Non-precious metal catalysts are crucial for industrial applications but often struggle with performance.
• Developing catalysts with high activity and stability remains a significant challenge.

Purpose of the Study:

• To design and synthesize a novel heterogeneous electrocatalyst for efficient overall water splitting.
• To investigate the synergistic effects of CoMo alloys and Fe2O3 nanosheets on catalytic performance.
• To explore the potential of interfacial engineering in non-precious metal electrocatalysts.

Main Methods:

• Hydrothermal synthesis and electrodeposition were employed to prepare the CoMo alloys anchored Fe2O3 nanosheets.
• Electrochemical characterization techniques were used to evaluate the catalytic activity for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER).
• Density Functional Theory (DFT) calculations were performed to understand the electronic structure and reaction mechanisms.

Main Results:

• The CoMo/Fe2O3/NF heterostructure exhibited excellent bifunctional catalytic activity.
• Minimal overpotentials of 71 mV (HER) and 266 mV (OER) at high current densities were achieved.
• The catalyst demonstrated a low cell voltage of 1.5 V for overall water splitting at 10 mA cm-2.

Conclusions:

• The synergistic interaction between CoMo alloys and Fe2O3 nanosheets significantly enhances charge transfer and catalytic kinetics.
• This work presents an effective strategy for constructing high-performance non-precious metal electrocatalysts for water splitting.
• The developed catalyst holds promise for practical applications in hydrogen production and energy storage.