Development of transition metal based electrolyzer for efficient oxygen evolution reaction

The greatest challenge of the 21st century is to develop renewable systems of energy, which are efficient, environmentally friendly, and scalable. In this context, production of hydrogen and oxygen from electrolysis of water is a smart approach. Its inputs are only water and potential. However, oxygen evolution reaction (OER) via water splitting is a sluggish reaction. So, herein, we report the synthesis of a novel OER hybrid tetrametallic electrocatalyst (Co-Ni-Fe-Zn) that is cost affordable as compared to the traditional precious noble-metal-based catalysts. It was grown over the surface of fluorine doped tin oxide by a facile potentiodynamic method, and the surface modification was ensured from XRD, scanning electron microscopy, and energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy analyses. The OER catalytic activity of the designed electrocatalyst was examined through electrochemical techniques. Linear scan voltammetric results revealed that the as-prepared catalyst generates a signal of OER with a current density of 10 mA/cm² at an overpotential of just 90 mV under alkaline conditions. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report on an OER catalyst that demands the lowest overpotential. Hence, the synthesized catalyst is a promising candidate for realizing the dream of rapidly producing sustainable and environmentally friendly fuel.