Synergistic electrochemical performance of NdFeO3/rGO composite for enhanced oxygen and hydrogen evolution reactions

Abstract

The research delves into a comprehensive process for synthesizing and characterizing NdFeO₃, reduced graphene oxide (rGO), and their composite. In present work, the NdFeO₃/rGO composite is synthesized using ultrasonic methods. Subsequently, techniques such as FT-IR, XRD, SEM, EDX, and XPS univocally affirmed the synthesis of NdFeO₃/rGO. The pristine materials NdFeO₃, rGO, and NdFeO₃/rGO were investigated for oxygen evolution reaction (OER) and hydrogen evolution reaction. The findings reveal that the NdFeO₃/rGO composite exhibits superior OER and HER compared to individual components in the presence of 1 M KOH solution. The NdFeO₃/rGO at current densities of 100, 500 and 1000 mAcm⁻² displays lower overpotentials 220, 255 and 345 mV for OER and enhanced stability over extended testing periods for 80 h. Similarly, composite at current densities of 100, 500, and 1000 mAcm⁻² to acquire overpotentials of 206, 301, and 466 mV, respectively. The exalted electrocatalytic performance of NdFeO_3/rGO is related to the production of synergism between NdFeO₃ and rGO, promoting faster charge transfer kinetics and catalytic activity. Overall, the study underscores the potential of NdFeO₃/rGO as promising and inexpensive electrocatalysts for OER and HER, offering significant promise for applications in sustainable energy conversion.