Fabrication, Characterization, and Kinetic Study of Cu-MOF hybrids as electrocatalyst for Hydrogen Evolution Reaction

Abstract

To satisfy the ever-increasing need for energy around the world, science is currently confronted with its greatest challenge. Most of the world's electricity is still produced by burning fossil fuels such as oil, coal, and natural gas. This is the case even though renewable sources of energy are becoming more and more popular. During the entire process of converting hydrogen into electricity, it only produces heat and water, making it an environmentally friendly fuel source. Water splitting is one of the renewable sources to produce hydrogen but requires a catalyst to minimize the potential to break water molecules. The economic viability of water splitting to produce hydrogen (H2) is constrained by the reaction's unfavorable kinetics. The development of catalytically active and structurally stable electrocatalysts is challenging despite high demand. In many cases, a catalyst is necessary for electrocatalytic water splitting. Long-term stability and high catalytic activity are two of the biggest obstacles to overcome when developing a catalyst for the hydrogen evolution process (HER). The process of decomposing water into its parts, hydrogen, and oxygen, holds great potential. Using inexpensive watersplitting equipment and electrolyzer, it may be possible to manufacture marketable H2 fuel. It is necessary to consider several different parameters to develop an electrocatalyst for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) that is both cost-effective and highly active for the process of water splitting. In this experiment, the metal-organic framework formed from Cu-BTC and g-C3N4 is joined to form a hybrid catalyst, which is then synthesized using a solvothermal method. The Tafel slope of 59 mV/dec in 1 M KOH electrolyte and the low overpotential (only 131 mV at 10 mA/cm2 ) are just two of the remarkable characteristics of the Cu-BTC/g-C3N4 catalyst that was built for HER electrocatalysis. Other remarkable characteristics include. This one performs just as well as, or even better than, its predecessors when measured against the performance of other Cu-BTC hybrids. According to the findings, using Cu-BTC hybrids as an electrocatalyst for hydrogen evolution has the potential to be beneficial.