Hybrid electrocatalyst FeCo-N/alloy for efficient energy conversion and energy storage applications
摘要
Effective electrocatalysts are necessary to transform electrical energy into hydrogen fuel through the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) and ensure that energy storage technologies such as supercapacitors efficiently control energy density. Sluggish OER kinetics frequently require high overpotentials, and the goal is to improve electrocatalyst performance by surface phase change utilizing FeCoN alloy, which is manufactured hydrothermally, to improve electrode performance. The optimized surface morphology enhances the electrochemical surface area to 172.5 cm2, with a capacitance (Cdl) of 6.9 mF and low charge transfer resistance (Rct) of 2.96 Ω. The material has a crystalline size of 3.2 nm, specific surface area of 127.1 m2/g, and porosity of 68%. The FeCoN/alloy demonstrates high electrocatalytic efficiency for OER and supercapacitor applications, with a low overpotential of 236 mV at 10 mA/cm2 and a Tafel slope of 39 mV/dec at 10 mA/cm2. It retains outstanding stability at high current densities for 50 h. It also exhibits remarkable energy storage, with a specific capacitance of 1172 F/g and an energy density of 843.96 Wh/kg. These findings emphasize the possibility of targeted surface changes in developing bifunctional electrocatalysts for renewable energy applications.