Engineering Active Sites on Transition Metals as High Performance Electrodes for Electrochemical Water Splitting

Yamini Kumaran

Faculty: Harablos Efsthadiadis, Iulian Gherasoiu

With the increase in the demand for renewable energy sources, hydrogen serves as the best energy carrier with highest gravimetric energy density. Among other methods, electrochemical water splitting is a promising energy conversion technology to produce H2 and O2 with high efficiency. Pt/C and IrO2 are commonly accepted as highly effective catalysts for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER) in water splitting.

However, the high cost of these materials limits their large-scale industrial use. Hence, this study focuses on the design and fabrication of low cost and highly efficient electrodes to produce hydrogen and oxygen using cost-effective materials with low overpotential allowing an increased efficiency of the overall water splitting. Industrial water splitting is mainly conducted in alkaline medium to overcome the acidic corrosion of water splitting equipment. Hence, constructing a reliable catalyst which can perform HER well in alkaline medium is crucial for industrial application.

In this research, MoNi4 embedded MoO3 nanorods are synthesized using facile hydrothermal methods. Further, Molybdenum-Vanadium Nitride is coated on top the synthesized electrode using DC magnetron sputtering. This combination of hydrothermal and magnetron sputtering fabrication methods of the electrodes results in high surface area of the electrodes thereby improving the reaction kinetics of overall water splitting.

The performance of the electrodes is tested in N2/O2 saturated 1M KOH solution. The electrodes are characterized by X-ray diffraction and SEM for structural and morphological analysis. This work provides a reliable approach to the production of low cost and high-effectiveness electrodes for the application in commercial electrolyzers.

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