Noble Metal-Doped Perovskite–GO Hybrids as Efficient Electrocatalysts for Alkaline Water Electrolysis

TL;DR

This paper introduces new perovskite-graphene hybrids doped with noble metals that efficiently split water into hydrogen under alkaline conditions.

Contribution

The study reports the first use of Pd-doped LaMnO3/GO hybrids as electrocatalysts for alkaline water electrolysis.

Findings

Pd-doped LaMnO3/GO achieved a low overpotential of 0.385 V at −10 mA/cm² for hydrogen evolution.

The material showed a Tafel slope of 0.34 V and good stability in alkaline conditions.

This hybrid material is a novel and effective electrocatalyst for water splitting.

Abstract

Water electrolysis using electricity generated from renewable sources is a promising approach for producing green hydrogen. However, this process requires the development of electrocatalysts that are not only highly active and durable but also low-cost. Considerable efforts are being directed toward discovering and optimizing such materials, and this study contributes to the ongoing research in this area. In this work, three novel LaMnO3 perovskite–graphene oxide hybrids—namely LaMnO3/GO, Ag-doped LaMnO3/GO, and Pd-doped LaMnO3/GO—were synthesized and investigated for their electrocatalytic activity in water electrolysis under strongly alkaline conditions. To the best of our knowledge, these hybrid materials have not been previously reported in the context of electrocatalytic water splitting. Among the electrodes fabricated and tested for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), the one based on a catalyst ink containing Pd-doped LaMnO3/GO mixed with carbon black showed the best performance, achieving a low overpotential of 0.385 V at a current density of −10 mA/cm2. It also demonstrated good stability in the alkaline electrolyte and exhibited a Tafel slope of 0.34 V. These findings highlight the potential of the studied materials as effective and previously unreported electrocatalysts for water splitting.

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