Effect of Al and Zn on Oxygen Evolution Reaction of (FeCoNiMnCu)3O3.2

Abstract

AbstractBecause of its low cost and abundant sources, hydrogen serves as a clean energy alternative capable of successfully substituting fossil fuels. A highly efficient method for generating hydrogen energy currently is by the electrolysis of water. The oxygen‐extraction reaction (OER), a component of water electrolysis, requires a complex chemical pathway that involves multiproton and multielectron interactions. To enhance reaction efficiency in the OER process, catalysts are crucial; thus, the search for high‐performance, cost‐effective catalysts is underway. This experimental study involved the enhancement of the five‐membered high‐entropy oxide (FeCoNiMnCu)3O3.2 by incorporating a sixth group element (Zn, Al). The organization, morphology, and OER properties were analyzed following the preparation utilizing a mechanical ball milling process. A series of rock salt‐type hexagonal high entropy oxides with differing ball milling durations were synthesized to investigate the influence of the production method on the surface shape and catalytic properties of high entropy oxides. The results indicated that the single‐phase rock salt structure of (FeCoNiMnCuAl)3O3.5, a high‐entropy oxide, exhibited significantly altered diffraction peaks, hence improving OER performance. Optimization of the preparation technique revealed that a 72‐h ball milling duration resulted in an overpotential of merely 293 mV and an electrochemically active surface area approximately double that of the other milling durations.