Mn-Co bimetallic phosphate on electrodeposited PANI nanowires with composition modulated structural morphology for efficient electrocatalytic water splitting

Bifunctional electrocatalysts for total water splitting (TWS) applications are vital for the substantial production of hydrogen energy. Herein, we have reported an efficient manganese and cobalt bimetallic phosphate electrocatalyst synthesized on an electrodeposited PANI nanowire array for TWS. The hierarchical morphology and higher Mn3+ and Co2+/Co3+ ratio on catalyst surface enhance faster charge transfer kinetic rate for both hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER). We achived a lower overpotential of 109 mV and Tafel value of 99 mV/Dec for HER application, whereas Mn1.5Co1.5 showed an excellent OER performance with overpotential of 254 mV and Tafel value of 36 mV/Dec. Further, the fabricated electrolyzer achieved a cell voltage of 1.54 V to attain a density of 10 mA/cm2 with an impressive durability of 40 h at 100 mA/cm2. This work presents a promising approach for designing TMP-based electrocatalyst along with use of PANI nanowires for efficient bifunctional TWS.

Automated summary

The efficient manganese and cobalt bimetallic phosphate electrocatalyst reported in this study exhibits faster charge transfer rate and excellent reaction performance for both hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER). By combining with PANI nanowires, a durable electrolyzer with impressive performance is fabricated, offering a promising approach for efficient total water splitting.