Nitrogen doped leather waste-derived carbon materials as electrocatalyst for oxygen evolution reaction

Abstract

Nitrogen doped leather waste-derived carbon materials have been employed as eletrocatalyst for oxygen evolution reaction. Low current densities and complex synthesis routes of other carbon-based materials limit their practical applicability. We present herein a simple and cost-competitive design of a metal free nitrogen-doped carbon matrix (NCM). At 10 mA cm−2 of current density, the assembled NCM showed a low over potential of 330 mV. NCM provided 73 mV dec-1 of slope value according to Tafel analysis, with NCM slope value improved as compared to previously described electrocatalysts inclusive of graphene (113 mV dec−1) and carbon nanosheets (101 mV dec−1), under similar reaction conditions. Linear sweep voltamogram, stability test and electrochemical impedance spectra confirmed the potential of NCM in OER as a heterogeneous electrocatalyst.