Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

NiO and magnetic CuFe2O4-based composite electrocatalyst for enhanced oxygen evolution reaction

  • Regular Article
  • Published:
The European Physical Journal Plus Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The biggest concerns confronting the modern world are the depletion of nonrenewable energy sources and rising global temperatures. The use of O2 as an alternative energy source offers a potential answer to these problems. Low-cost electrocatalysts are growing approach for electrocatalytic water splitting, such as oxygen evolution reaction (OER). Oxygen evolution reactions are tremendously well-catalyzed by inexpensive transition metal oxide-based nanostructures. Here, we present a new composite NiO/CuFe2O4 nanostructure and further investigate its potential for electrocatalytic OER applications. Microscopic and spectroscopic methods such as FE-SEM, XRD, XPS, and FTIR were utilized to explore the morphology and structural characteristics of the electrocatalyst. The composite NiO/CuFe2O4 catalyst demonstrates excellent electrochemical OER accomplishment with the overpotential of 297 mV for an alkaline medium to acquire the current density of 10 mA/cm2 and a low Tafel slope of 63 mV/dec−1 to confirm the faster reaction of the composite catalyst. The synergism between the metal ions Ni, Cu, and Fe makes the composite catalyst more efficient in its catalytic activity so; the as-prepared structure demonstrates higher electrocatalytic OER execution with cyclic stability and durability than its pristine constituents. The results show that the NiO/CuFe2O4 composite has the potential to act as an electrocatalyst for the splitting of water.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7

Similar content being viewed by others

Data availability statement

This manuscript has associated data in a data repository. [Authors’ comment: The datasets analyzed during the current investigation are accessible upon reasonable request from the corresponding author].

References

  1. M.S. Dresselhaus, I. Thomas, Alternative energy technologies. Nature 414(6861), 332–337 (2001)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  2. Y. Zhao et al., Nitrogen-doped carbon nanomaterials as non-metal electrocatalysts for water oxidation. Nat. Commun. 4(1), 2390 (2013)

    Article  ADS  MathSciNet  Google Scholar 

  3. M.A. Qamar et al., Accelerated decoloration of organic dyes from wastewater using ternary metal/g-C3N4/ZnO nanocomposites: an investigation of impact of g-C3N4 concentration and Ni and Mn doping. Catalysts 12(11), 1388 (2022)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. A. Zahid et al., Synthesis of Mn-doped ZnO nanoparticles and their application in the transesterification of castor oil. Catalysts 13(1), 105 (2023)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. A. Tahira, Electrochemical water splitting based on metal oxide composite nanostructures, vol. 2066 (Linköping University Electronic Press, 2020)

    Book  Google Scholar 

  6. M.A. Qamar et al., Synthesis and applications of graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) based membranes for wastewater treatment: a critical review. Heliyon 9, e12685 (2023)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. N.-T. Suen et al., Electrocatalysis for the oxygen evolution reaction: recent development and future perspectives. Chem. Soc. Rev. 46(2), 337–365 (2017)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. G. Fu, J.-M. Lee, Ternary metal sulfides for electrocatalytic energy conversion. J. Mater. Chem. A 7(16), 9386–9405 (2019)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. Z.Y. Yu et al., Clean and affordable hydrogen fuel from alkaline water splitting: past, recent progress, and future prospects. Adv. Mater. 33(31), 2007100 (2021)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. A.R. Woldu et al., Electrochemical CO2 reduction (CO2RR) to multi-carbon products over copper-based catalysts. Coord. Chem. Rev. 454, 214340 (2022)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. Q. Shi et al., Robust noble metal-based electrocatalysts for oxygen evolution reaction. Chem. Soc. Rev. 48(12), 3181–3192 (2019)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. S.S.S. Al-Mezeini et al., Design and experimental studies on a single slope solar still for water desalination. Water 15(4), 704 (2023)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. J. Wang et al., Decoupling half-reactions of electrolytic water splitting by integrating a polyaniline electrode. J. Mater. Chem. A 7(21), 13149–13153 (2019)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. N. Mahmood et al., Electrocatalysts for hydrogen evolution in alkaline electrolytes: mechanisms, challenges, and prospective solutions. Adv. Sci. 5(2), 1700464 (2018)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  15. I. Ahmed et al., Mechanism of iron integration into LiMn1.5Ni0.5O4 for the electrocatalytic oxygen evolution reaction. Energy & Fuels 36(19), 12160–12169 (2022)

    Article  MathSciNet  Google Scholar 

  16. M. Amir et al., Mössbauer studies and magnetic properties of cubic CuFe2O4 nanoparticles. J. Supercond. Novel Magn. 32, 557–564 (2019)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  17. H. Dong et al., Atomically structured metal‐organic frameworks: a powerful chemical path for noble metal‐based electrocatalysts. Adv. Funct, Mater. 33, 2300294 (2023)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  18. Y. Peng et al., Recent advances regarding precious metal-based electrocatalysts for acidic water splitting. Nanomaterials 12(15), 2618 (2022)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  19. B. Yang, P. Geng, G. Chen, One-dimensional structured IrO2 nanorods modified membrane for electrochemical anti-fouling in filtration of oily wastewater. Sep. Purif. Technol. 156, 931–941 (2015)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  20. L. Han, S. Dong, E. Wang, Transition-metal (Co, Ni, and Fe)-based electrocatalysts for the water oxidation reaction. Adv. Mater. 28(42), 9266–9291 (2016)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  21. A.R. Ansari et al., Impact of the microwave power on the structural and optical properties of nanocrystalline nickel oxide thin films. Braz. J. Phys. 51, 499–506 (2021)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  22. M.A. Qamar et al., Fabrication of g-C3N4/transition metal (Fe Co, Ni, Mn and Cr)-doped ZnO ternary composites: excellent visible light active photocatalysts for the degradation of organic pollutants from wastewater. Mater. Res. Bull. 147, 111630 (2022)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  23. A. Asghar et al., Enhanced electrochemical performance of hydrothermally synthesized NiS/ZnS composites as an electrode for super-capacitors. J. Cluster Sci. 33(5), 2325–2335 (2022)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  24. M. Shariq et al., Study of structural, magnetic and optical properties of BiFeO3–PbTiO3 multiferroic composites. Arab. J. Sci. Eng. 44, 613–621 (2019)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  25. S.N. Shreyanka et al., Multiscale design of 3D metal–organic frameworks (M− BTC, M: Cu Co, Ni) via PLAL enabling bifunctional electrocatalysts for robust overall water splitting. Chem. Eng. J. 446, 137045 (2022)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  26. B. Mondal et al., Sonochemically synthesized spin-canted CuFe2O4 nanoparticles for heterogeneous green catalytic click chemistry. ACS Omega 4(9), 13845–13852 (2019)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  27. P. Koley, Design and synthesis of novel catalysts for liquid phase biomass upgradation. RMIT University (2020)

  28. B.J. Borah, Y. Yamada, P. Bharali, Unravelling the role of metallic Cu in Cu–CuFe2O4/C nanohybrid for enhanced oxygen reduction electrocatalysis. ACS Appl. Energy Mater. 3(4), 3488–3496 (2020)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  29. S. Elmassi et al., Effect of annealing on structural, optical and electrical properties of nickel oxide thin films synthesized by the reactive radio frequency sputtering. Phys. B 639, 413980 (2022)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  30. D. Saravanakkumar et al., Synthesis of NiO doped ZnO/MWCNT Nanocomposite and its charecterization for photocatalytic & antimicrobial applications. J. Appl. Phys 10, 73–83 (2018)

    Google Scholar 

  31. M. Javed et al., Integration of Mn-ZnFe2O4 with Sg-C3N4 for boosting spatial charge generation and separation as an efficient photocatalyst. Molecules 27(20), 6925 (2022)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  32. S. Iqbal et al., Controlled synthesis of Ag-doped CuO nanoparticles as a core with poly (acrylic acid) microgel shell for efficient removal of methylene blue under visible light. J. Mater. Sci.: Mater. Electron. 31, 8423–8435 (2020)

    Google Scholar 

  33. C. Wang et al., Synthesis and growth mechanism of CuO nanostructures and their gas sensing properties. J. Mater. Sci.: Mater. Electron. 25, 2041–2046 (2014)

    Google Scholar 

  34. N. Ghassemi, S.S.H. Davarani, H.R. Moazami, Cathodic electrosynthesis of CuFe2O4/CuO composite nanostructures for high performance supercapacitor applications. J. Mater. Sci.: Mater. Electron. 29, 12573–12583 (2018)

    Google Scholar 

  35. M.A. Qamar et al., Highly efficient g-C3N4/Cr-ZnO nanocomposites with superior photocatalytic and antibacterial activity. J. Photochem. Photobiol. A 401, 112776 (2020)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  36. W. Huang et al., 3D NiO hollow sphere/reduced graphene oxide composite for high-performance glucose biosensor. Sci. Rep. 7(1), 5220 (2017)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  37. G. Song et al., High conversion to aromatics via CO2-FT over a CO-reduced Cu-Fe2O3 catalyst integrated with HZSM-5. ACS Catal. 10(19), 11268–11279 (2020)

    Article  MathSciNet  Google Scholar 

  38. C. Akshhayya et al., Nano-architecture of Intimate n-CuFe2O4 coupled p-NiO for enhanced white light photocatalysis: kinetics and intrinsic mechanism. J. Clust. Sci. 34, 2459 (2022)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  39. Y. Zhang et al., Coupling glucose-assisted Cu(I)/Cu(II) redox with electrochemical hydrogen production. Adv. Mater. 33(48), 2104791 (2021)

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

The authors are grateful to Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University Researchers Supporting Project number (PNURSP2023R230), Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Funding

This research work was supported by Princess Nourah Bint Abdulrahman University Researchers Supporting Project Number (PNURSP2023R230), Princess Nourah Bint Abdulrahman University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Chemistry, College of Science, Princess Nourah Bint Abdulrahman University, P.O. Box 84428, 11671, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

    Amal BaQais

  2. Department of Physics, College of Science, Jazan University, 45142, Jazan, Saudi Arabia

    Mohammad Shariq

  3. Department of Physics, College of Science, Taif University, P.O. Box 11099, 21944, Taif, Saudi Arabia

    Eman Almutib

  4. Chemistry Department, Faculty of Science, Taif University, P.O.Box 11099, Al-Hawiah, Taif City, Saudi Arabia

    Noha Al-Qasmi

  5. Department of Chemistry, College of Science, Jazan University, 45142, Jazan, Saudi Arabia

    R. E. Azooz, Syed Kashif Ali & K. F. Hassan

  6. Department of Physics, Central University of Punjab, Bathinda, 151401, India

    Muzahir Iqbal

Authors
  1. Amal BaQais
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Mohammad Shariq
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Eman Almutib
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Noha Al-Qasmi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. R. E. Azooz
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Syed Kashif Ali
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. K. F. Hassan
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  8. Muzahir Iqbal
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding authors

Correspondence to Mohammad Shariq or Muzahir Iqbal.

Ethics declarations

Conflict of interest

The authors say that they have no competing interests.

Rights and permissions

Springer Nature or its licensor (e.g. a society or other partner) holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

BaQais, A., Shariq, M., Almutib, E. et al. NiO and magnetic CuFe2O4-based composite electrocatalyst for enhanced oxygen evolution reaction. Eur. Phys. J. Plus 138, 804 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1140/epjp/s13360-023-04423-1

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1140/epjp/s13360-023-04423-1

Search

Navigation