Production of hydrogen via water oxidation using mesoporous‐assembled SiO2@TiN nanocomposite electrocatalyst

• Published in: ChemistrySelect (Weinheim) 2024-02, Vol.9 (7), p.n/a
• Main Authors: Alothman, Asma A., Shah, Syed Imran Abbas, Abid, Abdul Ghafoor, Nisa, Mehar Un, Bibi, Nasreen, Jabbour, Karam, Anwar, Muhammad Imran, Ehsan, Muhammad Fahad, Manzoor, Sumaira
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Electrocatalyst; Hydrothermal method; nanocomposite; SiO2@TiN; Water splitting
• ISSN: 2365-6549; 2365-6549
• DOI: 10.1002/slct.202303619

Electrochemical water splitting is one of the promising approaches for the production of molecular hydrogen as well as to meet the clean and sustainable energy demand of the modern world. However, the key task for the research communities is to design a cost‐effective and efficient electrocatalyst to contribute positively to recent world crises. This study presents a novel SiO2@TiN nanocomposite and utilize it for oxygen evolution reaction (OER) as an electrocatalysts. The different techniques use for the characterization of SiO2@TiN nanocomposite. The electrochemical investigations encompass linear sweep voltammetry (LSV), cyclic voltammetry (CV) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) which collectively yield critical parameters for assessing electrocatalytic performance. At a current density of 10 mAcm−2 the SiO2@TiN nanocomposite has a substantially lower overpotential of 256 mV compared to pure SiO2 and TiN. The composite also shows smaller tafel slope of 40 mV dec−1 as well as lower overpotential. The SiO2@TiN nanocomposite also demonstrates the enhanced redox activity as a result of its synergistic effect. Consequently, the increased electrical conductivity of TiN facilitates the attachment of metal oxides and more active sites are exposed to improve the OER activity of the fabricated materials. This study showcases an effective SiO2@TiN electro‐catalyst that significantly reduces overpotential to 256 mV in 1.0 M KOH, with a Tafel slope of 40 mV/dec, indicating faster kinetics crucial for enhanced Oxygen Evolution Reaction (OER). Employing a binary nano‐composite, the SiO2@TiN‐modified Ni foam substrate proves effective catalytic electrode in a three‐electrode system, highlighting its potential in advancing renewable energy applications.