Abstract
This report presents the synthesis of ZnO nanorod/α-Fe2O3 composites by the hydrothermal method with different weight percentages of α-Fe2O3 nanoparticles. The as-synthesized nanorod composites were characterized by different techniques, such as X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform-infrared (FT-IR), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). From our results, it was found that the ZnO/α-Fe2O3 (3 wt%) nanorod composites exhibit a higher hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) activity when compared to other composites. The synergetic effect between ZnO and (3 wt%) of α-Fe2O3 nanocomposites resulted in a low onset potential of −125 mV, which can effectively produce more H2 than pure ZnO. The H2 production rate over the composite of ZnO/α-Fe2O3 (3 wt%) clearly shows a significant improvement in the photocatalytic activity in the heterojunction of the ZnO nanorods and α-Fe2O3 nanoparticles on nickel foam.
Highlights
In recent decades, fossil fuels have conventionally been the most important source of fuel, but the consumption of fossil fuels is a serious environmental concern
We propose a hydrothermal method to fabricate ZnO nanorods with different weight percentages of α-Fe2 O3 nanoparticles that are deposited on Ni foam for electrocatalytic studies
The X-ray diffraction (XRD) peaks of the ZnO nanorods observed at 31.7.1◦ (100), 34.4◦ (002), 36.2◦ (101), 47.9◦ (102), and 56.81◦ (110) can be readily ascribed to the characteristic peaks of the
Summary
Fossil fuels have conventionally been the most important source of fuel, but the consumption of fossil fuels is a serious environmental concern. Many methods have been developed to produce alternative energy sources without the emission of carbon. Solar energy has attracted much attention as a sustainable and clean alternative energy source [1,2]. The conversion of solar energy into chemical energy is a promising technique for producing renewable energy. This technology is an attractive way to directly utilize solar-converted energy in the form of water-splitting systems with high solar-to-hydrogen efficiencies. Photocatalysis and photovoltaic systems are the most important routes for the conversion of solar energy into chemical energy in an environmentally friendly way, so they have been of great interest for several decades. The photogeneration of hydrogen under light irradiation using a photocatalyst has been considered as a potentially significant strategy for hydrogen production [3,4,5]
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