Innovative InAg-carbon nanocomposites: mesoporous design for OER enhancement
Sandhyawasini Kumari1,2, Somnath C Dhawale3, Afaq Ahmad Khan4
1Coal to Hydrogen Energy for Sustainable Solutions (CHESS) Division, CSIR - Central Institute of Mining and Fuel Research (CIMFR), Digwadih Campus, PO: FRI, Dhanbad - 828108, Jharkhand, India. santoshms@cimfr.res.in.
Nanoscale
|April 22, 2025
Summary
Researchers developed novel InAgC nanocomposites from giant cane for efficient water electrolysis. These catalysts accelerate the oxygen evolution reaction, offering a sustainable pathway for clean hydrogen energy production.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Electrochemistry
- Renewable Energy
Background:
- Sustainable hydrogen energy production via water electrolysis requires efficient electrocatalysts to overcome the sluggish oxygen evolution reaction (OER).
- Bimetallic nanocomposites offer synergistic effects, tunable properties, and high catalytic efficiency, making them promising OER electrocatalysts.
- Developing cost-effective and sustainable catalyst supports is crucial for practical applications.
Purpose of the Study:
- To synthesize and characterize InC, AgC, and InAgC nanocomposites using a mesoporous carbon support derived from giant cane.
- To evaluate the electrocatalytic activity and stability of these nanocomposites for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) in alkaline media.
- To explore the potential of giant cane as a natural carbon source for advanced catalyst supports.
Main Methods:
- Hydrothermal synthesis of InC, AgC, and InAgC nanocomposites on a mesoporous carbon support.
- Structural and morphological characterization using electron microscopy.
- Electrochemical evaluation of OER performance, including overpotential, Tafel slope, turnover frequency, and long-term stability via chronoamperometry.
Main Results:
- The InAgC nanocomposite exhibited excellent OER activity and durability, with a low overpotential of 480 mV at 100 mA cm⁻², a Tafel slope of 97 mV dec⁻¹, and a turnover frequency of 10.19 s⁻¹.
- Chronoamperometric studies demonstrated high stability of InAgC for 20 hours in 1 M KOH.
- InAgC showed a significantly higher electrochemical double-layer capacitance (52.14 mF cm⁻²) compared to other catalysts, indicating more accessible active sites.
Conclusions:
- The synthesized InAgC nanocomposite demonstrates superior performance as an electrocatalyst for the oxygen evolution reaction.
- Giant cane-derived mesoporous carbon is a viable and sustainable support for developing high-performance nanocomposite electrocatalysts.
- This work highlights the potential of utilizing natural biomass resources for creating advanced materials for clean energy applications.
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