Fabrication of high performance SnFe2O4@PANI electrocatalyst for Oxygen Evaluation Reaction (OER) by hydrothermal method

Abstract

Developing cutting-edge catalysts for oxygen evolution reaction (OER) is crucial for enhancing the efficiency of water splitting. Spinel-type materials have gained recognition for their exceptional catalytic performance in OER activity. The excessive OER overpotential is the significant obstacle that hinders the use of spinel-type materials. In this work, polyaniline (PANI) was incorporated to significantly enhance the performance of spinel SnFe₂O₄ material by straightforward hydrothermal method. SnFe₂O₄@PANI catalyst demonstrated an impressive overpotential of 198 mV at 10 mA cm^–2 and a 33 mV dec^–1 Tafel slope with higher OER activity. The electrochemical surface area (ECSA) of SnFe₂O₄@PANI catalyst was determined to be 2348.53 cm², with higher cyclic stability of 25 h after 5000th cycles with minimal impedance characteristics (R_ct = 0.18 Ω). In addition, the findings showed that the inclusion of PANI led to expansion of the surface area to improve the conductivity, resulting in notable enhancement of the catalysts’ OER activity. This modification has resulted in an improved OER catalyst, making it highly sought after for various applications in the water-splitting field.

Graphical Abstract