Iron−Group Metal Boride/Heteroatom-Doped Vertically Oriented Graphene As Efficient Catalyst for Overall Water Splitting in a Wide pH Range

Abstract

Electrocatalytic water splitting for the generation of H2 and O2 is one of the most efficient strategy for the development of clean energy fuels. Though tremendous development has made on the fabrication of several electrocatalysts, yet these are limited for practical applications owing to their high cost, poor stability, activity, and scarcity. The cost–effective bifunctional electrocatalysts for overall water splitting with good stability and activity in a wide pH range are rarely reported. We report on a newly designed Iron−Group Metal Boride /Heteroatom-doped vertically oriented graphene (IMB/HVG) electrocatalysts, fabricated via single−step electrodeposition method. IMB/HVG hybrid catalysts have potential to enhance interfacial electron transfer, improve the catalytic performance, and withstand in a wide pH range (pH 0–13.8). The hybrid catalysts showed an excellent electro–catalytic activity for overall water splitting reactions in a wide pH range (pH 0–13.8). The as–synthesized electrocatalysts exhibited excellent hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER) activities with low overpotentials at a current density of 10 mA cm−2 in all pH values. The electrocatalysts also showed prominent electrochemical stability. We strongly believe, this study may provide a facile design for the fabrication of cost–effective and non–noble metal bifunctional electrocatalysts material for overall water splitting withstand in different pH conditions.