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NiWO 3 Nanoparticles Grown on Graphitic Carbon Nitride (g‐C 3 N 4 ) Supported Toray Carbon as an Efficient Bifunctional Electrocatalyst for Oxygen and Hydrogen Evolution Reactions
Author(s) -
Kumar M. Praveen,
Murugesan Pramila,
Vivek Sankar,
Ravichandran Subbiah
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
particle and particle systems characterization
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.877
H-Index - 56
eISSN - 1521-4117
pISSN - 0934-0866
DOI - 10.1002/ppsc.201700043
Subject(s) - bifunctional , electrocatalyst , overpotential , oxygen evolution , catalysis , tafel equation , materials science , water splitting , chemical engineering , inorganic chemistry , carbon fibers , chemistry , electrochemistry , composite number , organic chemistry , electrode , composite material , photocatalysis , engineering
Abstract Catalysts for oxygen evolution reaction (OER) and hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) are at the heart of water oxidation reactions. Despite continuous efforts, the development of OER/HER electrocatalysts with high activity at low cost remains a big challenge. Herein, a composite material consisting of TC@WO 3 @g‐C 3 N 4 @Ni‐NiO complex matrix as a bifunctional electrocatalyst for the OER and HER is described. Though the catalyst has modest activity for HER, it exhibits high OER activity thereby making it a better nonprecious electrocatalyst for both OER and HER and is further improved by g‐C 3 N 4 . The catalytic activity arises from the synergetic effects between WO 3 , Ni‐NiO, and g‐C 3 N 4 . A Ni‐NiO alloy and WO 3 nanoparticles decorated on the g‐C 3 N 4 surface supported toray carbon (TC) matrix (TC@WO 3 @g‐C 3 N 4 @Ni‐NiO) by a facile route that show an excellent and durable bifunctional catalytic activity for OER and HER in the alkaline medium are developed. This carbon nitride with binary metal/metal‐oxide matrix supported with TC exhibit an overpotential of 0.385 and 0.535 V versus RHE at a current density of 10 mA cm −2 (Tafel slopes of 0.057 and 0.246 V dec −1 for OER and HER, respectively), in 0.1 m NaOH . The catalyst is tested in water electrolysis for 17 h.