This presentation will focus on the transition metal chalcogenide family and highlight their importance as electrocatalysts for water oxidation and/or reduction. Recently, we have observed that Ni-based selenides exhibit high efficiency as catalyst for oxygen evolution reaction (OER) requiring a low onset potential as well as overpotential to reach 10 mA.cm<sup>-2</sup>. Based on these encouraging results we have expanded this family and investigated OER and HER catalytic activity in Ni-, Fe- and mixed metal chalcogenides. The catalysts were deposited as nanostructured films on conducting surfaces including Au-coated glass, Au-coated Si and Glassy carbon (GC) disks. Detailed electrochemical studies including linear scan voltammetry (LSV), chronoamperommetry, and double layer capacitance were carried out to investigate the catalytic efficiency. Studies were also carried out in rotating disc electrode (RDE) assemblies to compare the kinetics of OER process between various catalysts as well as the Faradaic efficiency. The Ni-based selenides were observed to evolve oxygen at overpotential as low as 100 mV (<i>vs</i> RHE) in 1M KOH, while Fe doping enhanced the catalytic activity. Most of these selenides were better that the oxide electrocatalysts both in terms of onset overpotential as well as current density. In addition, the electrocatalyst films were observed to have extended stability in alkaline solution under conditions for continuous oxygen evolution. The synthesis, characterization, catalytic activity and advancement of the field will be presented in this talk.

Transition metal chalcogenides as viable water oxidation/reduction catalysts

251st National Meeting (2016)

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