Enhanced Hydrogen Evolution Reaction Using Biomass-Activated Carbon Nanosheets Derived from Eucalyptus Leaves

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Electrochemistry
• Catalysis

Background:

• Metal-free carbonaceous catalysts are crucial for efficient electrocatalytic hydrogen generation.
• Biomass-derived materials offer a sustainable and cost-effective alternative for catalyst development.

Purpose of the Study:

• To synthesize and characterize mesoporous-activated carbon nanosheets (ELC) from eucalyptus leaves for electrocatalytic hydrogen evolution.
• To evaluate the electrocatalytic performance of the synthesized ELC material in acidic media.

Main Methods:

• Biomass (eucalyptus leaves) was activated using KOH at 700 °C to produce ELC nanosheets.
• Material characterization included FE-SEM, Raman, XRD, and BET measurements.
• Electrocatalytic hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) performance was tested in 0.5 M H2SO4.

Main Results:

• The synthesized ELC-700 exhibited an interconnected nanosheet morphology with a high specific surface area (1436 m²/g) and mesoporosity.
• The ELC-700 catalyst demonstrated excellent HER performance with a low overpotential of 39 mV at 10 mA/cm².
• The catalyst showed remarkable durability and a low Tafel slope of 36 mV/dec.

Conclusions:

• KOH-activated eucalyptus-derived carbon nanosheets are effective metal-free electrocatalysts for hydrogen evolution.
• This study presents a novel approach for developing sustainable and high-performance biomass-derived electrocatalysts for green hydrogen production.