Electrocatalytic activities of iron-supported N-doped porous carbon towards the oxygen/hydrogen evolution reaction

Red mud (RM) disposal has been highly apprehensive due to its environmental impact. The aluminum industry produces large amounts of red mud waste annually, and turning it into a value-added product is a key component of sustainable development. This study combines RM with an N-doped porous carbon (biomass precursor) as an effective electrocatalyst for oxygen evolution and hydrogen evolution reactions (OER and HER). One significant obstacle to anion-exchange membrane (AEM) electrolyzer applications is the development of electrocatalysts that do not require noble metals and are both efficient and effective at HER and OER. The synthesized iron-supported (RM-derived) N-doped porous carbon (RMNPC) exhibits excellent catalytic activities with 276 and 191 mV overpotentials at 10 mA cm⁻² for OER and HER, respectively. A two-electrode cell system is designed with an RMNPC/NF electrode as anode and cathode, and it necessitates just 1.82 V to realize 10 mA cm⁻² and shows outstanding durability. This study presents a low-cost but effective electrocatalyst for water splitting for renewable hydrogen production, achieving the goal of RM recycling and highlighting the potential of porous carbon electrocatalysts.