Construction of SnO₂@CrS₂ Nanocuboids Via Solvothermal Synthesis for Photoelectrochemical OER/HER Performance in Alkaline and Acidic Media and Water Detoxification Behavior

The electrolytic division of water into hydrogen (H₂) and oxygen (O₂) presents a sustainable solution for meeting escalating demands in renewable energy sources. Yet, this process faces formidable challenges due to its energy-intensive nature. Our study introduces efficient electrocatalysts formed from chromium sulphide nanoparticles integrated with tin oxide via a straightforward solvothermal approach, enabling water splitting in both acidic and alkaline settings. The resulting SnO₂@CrS₂ heterostructure exhibits notable performance by requiring lower overpotentials 142 and 99 mV for achieving a current density of 10 mA cm⁻² during the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) and hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) in 1 M KOH, and 157 and 165 mV for OER and HER in 0.1 M HClO₄, respectively. Correspondingly, Tafel slopes of 30 and 45 mVdec⁻¹ in 1.0 M KOH and 52 and 32 mVdec⁻¹ in 0.1 M HClO₄ were observed for OER and HER respectively. These catalysts display promising efficiency at reduced overpotentials, demonstrating exceptional performance for overall water splitting. This approach of integrating an active heterostructure through interfacial tuning offers a novel pathway for developing economically viable and efficient electrocatalyst systems crucial for water splitting and H₂ production.

Graphical abstract of synthesized catalyst