Development of a CoFe₂O₄-MnO Electrocatalyst for an Improved Oxygen Evolution Process in Alkaline Media

Recent development and expansion in electrochemical water splitting processes have driven the research community to explore an efficient, economical and eco-friendly electrocatalyst. Within this domain, the electrocatalytic oxygen evolution reaction (OER) presents a notable challenge due to its inherent inefficiency arising from a sluggish four-electron transfer process. In the present study, we investigated a hydrothermal technique for synthesizing an electrocatalyst featuring MnO-embedded CoFe₂O₄ spinel oxide, which is firmly anchored onto a nickel foam (NF) substrate. The electrocatalyst demonstrated impressive performance, exhibiting exceptional stability over an 82-h endurance test. A significantly smaller overpotential was required for OER, achieving a notable decrease of 179 mV. Furthermore, it displayed a Tafel value of approximately 68 mV dec⁻¹ at current density of 10 mA cm⁻² for OER, underscoring its exceptional electrocatalytic performance. In light of these compelling findings, the current research has introduced a feasible, environmentally friendly, and potentially high-impact strategy towards the development of cost-effective transition metal-based catalysts, highly suitable for use as electrodes in electrochemical water splitting applications.