Improvement of spinel OER electrochemical property by doping strategy for water splitting

Investigating efficient electrocatalysts for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) is an essential aspect of numerous energy revolution systems that involve water electrolysis. Spinel structure has garnered substantial interest as OER catalysts due to their abundance in the Earth, and ability to adjust electronic properties. As the doping plays a decisive role in fine-tuning the structure and controlling size, ultimately enhancing intrinsic activities. Herin, the performance of spinel SnMn₂O₄ was significantly improved by incorporating Sm doping during the synthesis process, which was done using a cost-effective and efficient hydrothermal method. Nano-flakes morphology exhibited higher surface area which provide higher number of active sites. Sm-doped SnMn₂O₄ catalyst showed a remarkable over potential of 212 mV at 10 mA cm⁻² and a Tafel slope of 37 mV dec^–1. Sm-doped SnMn₂O₄ catalyst exhibited exceptional stability after 5000th cycle and less impedance characteristics. Moreover, results indicated that the addition of Sm dopant caused an increase in surface area and conductivity with significant development in OER activity of catalysts. This study offers enhanced OER catalysts with a broader perspective on the relation between the structure and activity of spinel for more effective energy generation devices for real-life applications.