Development of high-performance oxygen evolution reaction electrocatalyst with quick kinetics: Based on ultrafine Cu nanoparticles encircled by N-doped carbon

The oxygen evolution reactions (OER) in electrochemical water splitting are the chief catalytic processes to clean and sustainable energy technologies, such as water electrolysis or energy conversion system. This study presents a Mott-Schottky catalyst encircled copper nanoparticles, including the nitrogen doped carbon layers (Cu@NC). All the fabricated materials are analyzed via numerous complementary procedures and then employed under a potentiostat configured with a three-electrode system. The fabricated Cu@NC displays a lower overpotential of 101.0 mV to accomplish current density of 10.0 mA cm-2, lower Tafel slope of 42.0 mV dec-1, and extensive stability over 5000 cycles having exceptional oxygen evolution activity. The structural results reveal that adding Cu and N species in Cu@NC significantly enhances the numerous of active sites and improves electronic con-ductivity. Structural defects help to accelerate the oxygen evolution process and many other fields for future applications.

Automated summary

This study presents a Mott-Schottky catalyst encircled copper nanoparticles, including the nitrogen doped carbon layers (Cu@NC), for oxygen evolution reactions (OER) in electrochemical water splitting. The fabricated Cu@NC exhibits a lower overpotential, lower Tafel slope, and exceptional stability with extensive oxygen evolution activity. The addition of Cu and N species significantly enhances the number of active sites and improves electronic conductivity, making it promising for future applications.