Synthesis and characterization of NiCo2O4 nanoparticles anchored ZnO and TiO2 semiconductors and their investigation in electro- and photochemical water splitting

Date

2023-12-05

Author

Yasar, Aleyna

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The global priority to seek alternative energy sources due to the depletion of fossil fuels has intensified research on sustainable fuel options, with hydrogen (H2) emerging as a promising candidate. Obtaining H2 from water through water splitting using metal oxide nanomaterials has gained significant attention for its economic and eco-friendly potential. Therefore, designing and synthesizing novel metal oxide nanomaterials that can perform durably and effectively in this process is crucial. In this study, NiCo2O4/ZnO hybrid nanomaterials were synthesized via the facile hydrothermal method and characterized by various analytical techniques, including XRD, SEM, EDX, TEM, XPS, ICP-OES, and BET. The novel NiCo2O4/ZnO material, when coated onto a glassy carbon electrode (GCE), exhibited notable electrochemical performance towards water oxidation with an onset potential of 1.58 V vs. RHE and an overpotential of 440 mV at 10 mA cm-2 current density, rivaling benchmark RuO2 or surpassing the catalysts having similar structures. Furthermore, the oxygen- and hydrogen-generating ability in light-driven water splitting of the hybrid material was evaluated separately by monitoring the amount of evolved gas from water as 420 µmol h-1 g-1 and 250 µmol h-1 g-1, respectively. These results are promising compared to the catalysts having similar structures, and especially H2 evolution activity was found to be 25-fold higher than those of its components pure ZnO (6 µmol h-1 g-1) and NiCo2O4 (9 µmol h-1 g-1). This thesis emphasized the significance of the NiCo2O4/ZnO hybrid structure in achieving high catalytic performance, marking a significant advancement in electro- and photocatalytic water splitting applications.

Subject Keywords

Sustainable energy, Electrocatalytic water splitting, Photocatalysis, Nanomaterials, Transition metal oxide

URI

https://hdl.handle.net/11511/107781

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Graduate School of Natural and Applied Sciences, Thesis