ACOST-EFFECTIVE NiZn/Ti ElECTROCATALYST FOR EFFICIENT HYDROGEN EVOLUTION AND OXYGEN EVOLUTION REACTIONS

Though fossil fuels are efficient sources of energy, their harmful pollution necessitates the transition to environmentally friendly alternatives like hydrogen. With high energy density, hydrogen can store, transport, and deliver energy produced from renewable sources. Water electrolysis, a simple and efficient method, is increasingly being explored for producing hydrogen with zero carbon footprint, making it a clean and sustainable alternative for fuel production. To overcome the sluggish kinetics of HER and OER, noble metal catalysts typically offer low overpotentials and high current densities. However, their high cost and scarcity limit their practical application. Therefore, in this work, the cost-effective, non-noble NiZn/Ti electrocatalyst was synthesized via a single-step electrodeposition technique on a titanium substrate. The composition and surface structure of the NiZn/Ti catalyst were precisely optimized to enhance its catalytic performance. Detailed characterizations were conducted to investigate the catalysts’ morphology, structure, and composition using Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectroscopy (ICP-OES). The catalytic activity was evaluated using Linear Sweep Voltammetry (LSV) in alkaline medium (1 M KOH) at a scan rate of 10 mV s⁻¹. Electrochemical tests in alkaline medium showed that the NiZn/Ti catalyst had improved catalytic activity, making it a cost-effective electrocatalyst for water splitting applications.