Tuning the electrocatalytic efficacy of nano-dumbbell shaped nickel selenide anchored cobalt telluride towards oxygen evolution

Abstract

In the wake of environmental enigmas including global warming and the exhaustion of traditional hydrocarbon sediments, the usage of eco-friendly power generation is of paramount importance today. Alternatives to traditional fossil fuels such as hydrogen are clean, safe, and environmentally friendly. Moreover, hydrogen as a renewable energy source, as the only by product of burning hydrogen is water. Many electrochemical energy conversion methods rely on the oxygen evolution reaction (OER), but creating effectual, economical electrocatalysts for it has proven difficult. The multifunctional electrocatalyst, nickel selenide-anchored cobalt telluride, has been found to be effective in catalyzing oxygen evolution processes in alkaline medium. CoTe and NiSe, generated hydrothermally, exhibit promising electrocatalytic activity. However, their composite NiSe@CoTe, possesses higher OER durability. The presence of NiSe in the CoTe matrix responses a powerful OER responses due to the synergistic effect in alkaline environment. The NiSe@CoTe nanocomposite shows minimal Tafel value (39 mV/dec) and lower overpotential (247 mV) to attain a current density of 10 mA/cm2, whereas the pristine CoTe and NiSe needed higher overpotential to attain same current density. Following 16 h of utilizing the same catalyst, OER stability was maintained with 88 % current density retention.