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Understanding the spatial configurations of Sm2O3 in ZnO surface-loaded or embedded for the electrocatalytic oxygen evolution reaction

  • Original Paper: Sol-gel and hybrid materials with surface modification for applications
  • Published:
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Abstract

Recently, the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) has been accelerated with addition of samarium (Sm) to the fabricated electrocatalyst. Notably, the spatial dispersal of Sm in their hosts can impact the ability to use Sm species as additives and improve electrocatalytic performance. This study investigates two distinct catalytic designs in-depth to comprehend the diverse spatial arrangements that influence the features of OER. Sm2O3-loaded ZnO on the surface (Sm-Zn-L) and Sm2O3-embedded ZnO (Sm-Zn-E) are the two possible formations. Sm-Zn-E catalysts possessed a lower overpotential (419 mV for 10 mA cm−2), Tafel slope (89 mV dec−1) along with good stability up till 40 h and 1000 cycles as compared to Sm-Zn-L (448 mV and 159 mV dec−1). This explains entrenched arrangements benefit for OER. Introducing minute clusters of Sm2O3 into the ZnO improves the precise surface area, number of surface flaws, and the efficiency with which the electronic assemblies of the surface-active sites are optimized. Due to this, Sm-Zn-E has a higher OER than Sm-Zn-L. The above information offers a realistic framework for reordering catalysts to increase their spatial performance.

Graphical abstract

Highlights

  • DyNiO3 perovskite structure is fabricated, and tuned further into amorphous nanostructured via doping strategies.

  • The electrochemical performance of the fabricated perovskite structure was evaluated with various electrochemical characterization.

  • The perovskite DyNiO3 exhibited low overpotential of 265 mV @ 10 mAcm−2, smaller Tafel slope of 78 mV/dec with higher durability of 49 h.

  • The enhanced results of the DyNiO3 are due to the high-valence state of Ni3+ based edge-sharing octahedral frameworks.

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Data availability

The datasets generated during and/or analyzed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.

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Acknowledgements

Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University Researchers Supporting Project number (PNURSP2023R55), Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The authors extend their appreciation to the Deanship of Scientific Research at King Khalid University for funding this work through Research Groups Program under grant number (RGP.1/196/43).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Chemical Sciences, Bahauddin Zakariya University, Multan, 60800, Pakistan

    Mehar Un Nisa & Sumaira Manzoor

  2. Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, King Khalid University, P.O. Box 9004, 61413, Abha, Saudi Arabia

    Abdelaziz Gassoumi

  3. Laboratoire de Physique de la Matière Condensée (LPMC), Département de Physique, Faculté des Sciences de Tunis, Université Tunis El Manar, 2092, Tunis, Tunisia

    Abdelaziz Gassoumi

  4. Department of Physics, College of Science, Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University, P.O. Box 84428, 11671, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

    F. F. Alharbi

  5. Institute of Physics, Khwaja Fareed University of Engineering and Information Technology, Abu Dhabi Road, Rahim Yar Khan, 64200, Pakistan

    Salma Aman

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  1. Mehar Un Nisa
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Nisa, M.U., Gassoumi, A., Alharbi, F.F. et al. Understanding the spatial configurations of Sm2O3 in ZnO surface-loaded or embedded for the electrocatalytic oxygen evolution reaction. J Sol-Gel Sci Technol 106, 215–225 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10971-023-06054-5

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