Electrochemical Performance Evaluation of Bimetallic Sulfide Nanocomposite with Fullerene (CeNdS/C60) for Efficient Oxygen Evolution Reaction (OER)

Abstract

In recent decades, developing cost-stable electrocatalysts for oxygen evolution reactions at low overpotential has still been challenging for chemical energy conversion devices. In the present work, we have reported the facile development of the CeNdS/C60 nanocomposite via the solution method. The covered C60 over CeNdS is confirmed by TEM and STEM, providing strong interfacial interaction between CeNdS and C60. In a medium consisting of 1.00 M KOH, CeNdS/C60 electrode displayed a very small overpotential of 346 mV and a small Tafel slope of 68 mV dec–1 at a benchmark current density. Chronoamperometric and continuous CV sweeps confirmed the good stability of this catalyst at a scan rate of 5 mV s–1 (5000 cycles). The turnover frequency of CeNdS/C60 was 1.7 s–1, and the corresponding electrochemically active surface area was 3057.5 cm2. Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) surface area results also confirmed the attachment of C60 particles with CeNdS by developing a high surface area with porous channels that further facilitate electrolyte penetration and the charge transfer rate, thus improving the OER property of CeNdS/C60. All performed techniques showed that the presence of Nd and C60 ions in the CeNdS/C60 catalyst is responsible for growing the superb intrinsic OER catalytic activity. Furthermore, these findings have revealed an excellent potential for CeS-based electrocatalysts for more electrochemical energy-conversion applications.