Non-precious metal-based integrated electrodes for overall alkaline water splitting

Abstract

A bifunctional electrocatalyst interface requires a superior charge transfer and good electric conductivity to produce an efficient and stable water splitting reaction. In the context of controlling the electrochemical activity of bifunctional catalytic materials, we demonstrate a novel approach to bridge conductive C-Qd-Mn interfaces with precise control. The excellent performance for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER) can be dominantly attributed to the unique structure of C-Qds-Mn, which provides abundant active sites and facilitates electron transfer between electrode and electrolyte. Eco-friendly C-Qds were synthesized using a large-scale thermal assisted technique and utilized as electrocatalysts with Mn3O4 in alkaline splitting ToF (Turn over Frequency) calculation to make an effective combination. Due to their increased ECSA, conductivity, and electron-hole transfer, the prepared C-Qds-Mn delivered excellent HER/OER (0.494 V/1.6671V) activity, lower Standard deviation 0.006 V and 0.009V, surpassing the 10 mA limit comparable to commercially.