Designing of Fe- ZIF67 derived Fe-Co/NC with its reduced graphene oxide-based composites for hydrogen and oxygen evolution reaction

This study focuses on the rational design and synthesis of catalysts for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER). A two-step method is employed, where the catalysts are first designed through hydrothermal synthesis and then subjected to pyrolysis at 400°C under an argon environment. The performance of the designed electrocatalyst Fe-Co/NC, along with its 1, 3, 5, and 7 wt% rGO-based composites, is compared against commercial catalysts, 5 wt% Pt/C, and IrO2, for HER and OER. From all of the synthesized electrocatalysts, the 5 wt% rGO@Fe-Co/NC electrocatalyst exhibits exceptional electrochemical activity with less overpotential for both HER (-0.164V) and OER (0.14V) in the presence of alkaline media. Furthermore, this composite remained stable for 24 hours without any degradation. The improved electrocatalytic activity of the 5 wt% rGO@Fe-Co/NC composite compared to Fe-Co/NC can be attributed to the presence of support materials like rGO and the availability of nanoporous carbon containing iron and cobalt. This successful combination of doping and interface engineering holds significant promise in the design of advanced electrocatalytic materials for water-splitting processes.