Hydrothermally Fabricated Cr₂S₃ Supported with Fe₂S₃ as an Electrode Material with Improved Electrochemical Efficiency for OER

In order to promote the production of renewable and clean fuels through water splitting, it is essential to develop competent electrocatalysts that are comprised of earth-abundant elements and do not require expensive materials or rare metals. The aim of current study is to develop Cr₂S₃, Fe₂S₃ and Cr₂S₃-Fe₂S₃ composite by employing a hydrothermal technique in an alkaline environment. To examine the morphology, structure and surface properties, several analytical methods, for instance SEM, XRD and BET evaluations are utilized. The Cr₂S₃-Fe₂S₃ nanosheets exhibit more active sites for OER owing to their greater surface area. In comparison to the individual Cr₂S₃ and Fe₂S₃ nanosheets, the OER activity of Cr₂S₃-Fe₂S₃ nanosheets exhibited overpotential, (η) (290 mV), a reduced Tafel value (39 mV/dec) and smaller Rct (0.54 Ω). The outstanding durability of the Cr₂S₃-Fe₂S₃ nanosheets was demonstrated OER activity at j (10 mA/cm²) for more than 40 h and showed no performance degradation even after 3000 CV cycles. The electrochemical measurement revealed that the addition of Fe₂S₃ into Cr₂S₃ led to an increased surface area and more active regions, which in turn reduced its resistance and facilitated swift adsorption of electrolyte ions. It is clear from these studies that they have the potential to be employed in energy storage along with energy conversion technologies.