Research Projects

Hydrogen production through water splitting using solar conversion is a renewable and sustainable energy source that requires a hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and suitable electrocatalyst. Due to the high cost and scarcity of platinum (Pt), a substitute for noble metal electrocatalyst has been sought. Transition metal nitrides (TMNs) formed with earth abundant elements are a potential solution due to their electronic configuration, low electrical conductivity, and superior corrosion resistance. However, late TMNs like Fe2N, Co4N, Ni3N, and Cu3N have high formation enthalpies, affecting their synthesis and structural integrity. The proposed research aims to study these late TMNs to establish a correlation between electrochemical activity, structure, composition, dopant type and quantity, and heterostructure role. The study will use laboratory and synchrotron-based techniques to measure physical and electronic structure, atomic pair distances, and interdiffusion, and establish their correlation with electrochemical activities. An electrochemical workstation will be required to optimize the electrocatalytic performances of developed TMNs. This work aims to realize noble metal-free, thermally and chemically stable electrocatalysts for sustainable and environmentally friendly water splitting.