Research Projects

The production of hydrogen through water splitting through electrochemical or photochemical pathways is a promising method for sustainable energy storage in a stable, chemical form. The electrolytic cell requires an efficient electrocatalyst for the reduction of protons to hydrogen. Pt is an excellent electrocatalyst for both processes, but due to its high cost, it cannot be commercially marketed. Therefore, there is a significant demand for a low-cost catalyst. 3D transition metal complexes as electrocatalysts are a promising alternative to noble metals. However, there is a tradeoff between the overpotential and reaction rate, which needs critical attention for practical implementation. The scientific objectives are to develop an efficient, low-cost earth abundant transition metal-based catalyst for both Hydrogen Evolution Reaction (HER) and Oxygen Evolution Reaction (OER). The methodology involves a homogeneous-heterogeneous hybrid approach, including synthesis of new molecular catalysts, homogeneous catalytic study with synthesized molecules, immobilization of synthesized catalysts on carbon-based electrodes, and fabrication of the water splitting cell. Characterizations of the molecular electrocatalyst and fabricated electrodes are performed using various techniques. The water splitting cell setup is proposed with an anode chamber (OER in alkaline medium) separated from the cathode chamber (HER in acidic medium) by a neutral pH 7 buffer chamber. Surface immobilized electrocatalysts can provide higher hydrogen production due to their heterogeneous nature and provide mechanistic ideas. By achieving these objectives, fundamental knowledge in this field will be enriched and applied practically in hydrogen-producing electrochemical cells.