Speaker
Description
Electrochemical water splitting emerges as a pivotal strategy for sustainable hydrogen energy production. Alkaline water electrolysis offers a facile pathway to yield pure hydrogen. However, due to its intrinsically sluggish kinetics, the anodic oxygen evolution reaction (OER) poses a formidable challenge. Overcoming this hurdle demands efficient water oxidation electrocatalysts to mitigate overpotential and enhance overall efficiency. While state-of-the-art catalysts such as RuO2 and IrO2 excel in OER catalysis, their limited availability and high cost impede broader implementation.
Transition metal compounds, encompassing elements such as Cu, Fe, Ni, Co, W, and Mo, have emerged as intriguing candidates for catalyzing the oxygen evolution reaction (OER). Notably, materials rooted in Mo and Fe, exemplified by MoS2, Mo2C, MoB2, MoP, MoOx, FeC, and FeOx, have undergone thorough examination owing to their tunable electronic configurations and robust structural integrity, rendering them promising for applications in water electrolysis. Utilizing a hydrothermal synthesis method, FeMoO4 supported over Nickel Foam (NF) substrate was synthesized. Characterization techniques including X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy revealed crystalline nanorods of the FeMoO4 moieties which provide a large surface area for the OER. Cyclic voltammetry of samples incorporating ferrous salts as the Fe2+ precursors enhanced the OER performance compared to its conventional counterparts having Fe3+. In an alkaline oxidative environment of OER, Fe2+ having a partially filled 3d6 electronic configuration makes it less stable and hence more reactive than Fe3+. This work presents an overpotential of 229 and 251 mV at 10 and 50 mA/cm2 respectively which is much lower than recently reported a noble metal oxide electrocatalyst like IrO2/NF (290 mV at 10 mA/cm2) and RuO2/NF (263 mV at 50 mA/cm2). These findings underscore the potential of FeMoO4 as a cost-effective and promising candidate for advancing the field of water oxidation in electrochemical water splitting.
| Academic year | 2nd year |
|---|---|
| Research Advisor | Dr. Shuo Chen |
