Platinum-incorporated nickel Iron oxide as a high-performance electrocatalyst for the oxygen evolution reaction: Elucidating substitutional and support strategy

Title : Platinum-incorporated nickel Iron oxide as a high-performance electrocatalyst for the oxygen evolution reaction: Elucidating substitutional and support strategy

Abstract:

Oxygen evolution reaction (OER) doesn’t directly provide fuel or energy, but it has that much efficiency to facilitate the overall yield of energy conversion, storage, and usage (ECSU) devices [1], [2]. The development of an anodic catalyst (OER) is crucial due to its high overpotential and slower reaction rate compared to the cathodic reaction in water electrolysis, which has emerged as one of the most promising carbon-free solutions for consolidating renewable energy into ECSU technologies [3]. Efficient charge transfer, abundance, and cost-effective nickel iron oxides are imperative for OER studies. In this work, Pt supported and substituted nickel iron oxide compounds have been successfully studied to acquire more activity from nickel iron oxides towards OER. Nickel iron oxide (parent), 0.25, 0.5, and 1% Pt substituted and supported nickel iron oxide were effectively synthesized. XRD, FE-SEM, and HR-TEM analysis displayed high purity and homogenous dispersion of all elements in matrix. Electrochemical studies of cyclic voltammetry depicted that Pt substituted and supported nickel iron oxide compounds does not outperform. To overcome this constraint, the pre-treatments of electrochemical reduction activation (ERA) modified compounds and reconstruction have occurred in a way that helped the oxidation process; it showed excellent results for OER. In case of substituted compounds, lower Pt concentration gave best activity, whereas for supported compounds Pt with higher concentration gave best activity compared to parent one. This has been proved by XPS analysis where its showed regeneration of active sites and generation of oxygen vacancies. This work significantly gave insight of how substituted and supported compound work differently for OER. Highest faradic efficiency was shown by 0.25% Pt substituted and 1% Pt supported nickel iron oxide compound which is in good agreement with other studies.

Biography:

Rajeshree Liya is a doctoral scholar and teaching assistant at Ahmedabad University (from 2021). She is working under the supervision of Professor Aditi Singhal. Her primary research work is based on the development of catalysts for OER. She is also receiving a SHODH scholarship from the Government of Gujarat. She has completed her master's and bachelor's degrees from Sardar Patel University, Anand (2012–2018). She was a chemistry teacher at A. G. High School, Ahmedabad (2018–2021).