Rational design of double perovskite La2Ni0.5Co0.5MnO6 decorated polyaniline array on MoO3 nanobelts with strong heterointerface boosting oxygen evolution reaction and urea oxidation

Abstract

The design and implementation of affordable high-performance electrocatalysts for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) and urea electrooxidation reaction (UOR) are critical for clean and environmentally friendly energy conversion. Herein, we constructed a novel heterostructure interface engineering of double perovskite La2Ni0.5Co0.5MnO6 (LNCM) nanoparticles and MoO3 nanobelt array-supported amorphous polyaniline (PANI; MoO3/P) for high-performance OER and UOR. Structural and morphological analyses confirmed the formation of a heterostructure interface. The optimized La2Ni0.5Co0.5MnO6@MoO3/P (LMP-30) demonstrated electrocatalytic performance with low overpotentials of 300 mV at 10 mA cm−2 (vs RHE) for OER and 0.48 V at 50 mA cm−2 (vs Hg/HgO) for UOR, as well as better stability after testing for 12 h. The improved electrocatalytic performance was attributed to its distinctive hierarchical nanostructure, which had a synergistic effect on modulating the electrical characteristics and an electrochemically active surface area. More importantly, the LNCM nanoparticles on the surface of MoO3/P nanobelts can potentially provide more electrocatalytic active sites, excellent charge transport capacity, enhanced electrical properties, and strong electronic contacts between MoO3/P and LNCM.