Iron-impregnated cellulosic carbon as an effective electrocatalyst for seawater oxidation

The quest for cost effective but active electrocatalysts for water oxidation is at the forefront of research towards hydrogen economy. In this regard, bamboo as biomass derived N-doped cellulosic carbon has shown potential electrocatalytic performance towards water oxidation. The impregnation of optimum metallic Fe boosts the performance further, achieving an overpotential value of 238 mV at a benchmark current density of 10 mA cm^-2. Owing to its promising OER performances in alkaline freshwater, the electrocatalyst was further explored in alkaline saline water and alkaline real seawater, exhibiting overpotentials of 272 mV and 280 mV, respectively, to reach 10 mA cm^-2 current density. Most importantly, the protective graphitic multilayer surrounding the metallic Fe allowed the electrocatalyst to demonstrate excellent durability over 30 h even at a high current density in alkaline real seawater electrolyte.