Research Projects

Noble metal-based electrocatalysts are highly efficient and have been explored for hydrogen generation due to their low overpotential. However, their high cost and low abundance make them a challenge for researchers. They are working on developing inexpensive materials that can efficiently generate molecular hydrogen from water at a lower overpotential. The challenge is to develop a non-noble material with comparable performance to platinum. Previous studies have focused on metal oxides and metal chalcogenides, but their performance and stability need improvement. The proposed solution involves developing highly active water splitting electrocatalysts composed of Ni/Co single atom catalysts decorated with binary chalcogenides using nickel cobalt layered double hydroxides (Ni–Co–LDH) and nickel iron layered double hydroxides (Ni–Fe–LDH). The study also explores the effect of iron on electrocatalytic water splitting at very low potentials. The study suggests that the increased catalytic activity is due to structural transformation, incorporation of Fe+3 in place of Ni and Co ions, and the formation of active Ni4+ sites. The stability of these electrocatalysts will be evaluated using various electrochemical techniques to facilitate the fabrication of hydrogen generation devices.