Enhancement in performance of CuMnO2 anchored over rGO for water splitting

Abstract

Now, the global energy demand increases and scientist are continuously trying to find renewable resources for energy production. Electrochemical water splitting known as an efficient and economical friendly method to fulfil global energy demands. In water splitting catalyst play crucial role. This study presents the synthesis of CuMnO₂ electrocatalyst, that is generated via hydrothermal method. The successful fabrication of generated nanohybrid were done by XRD, BET, SEM and EDS which confirmed high crystallinity, surface area, better morphology and purity. The electrocatalytic performance of fabricated composite was checked in basic (1 M KOH) which confirmed lower Tafel slope (43 mV dec⁻¹) and reduced overpotential (η) of 254 mV at 10 mA cm⁻² current density (j). Additionally, the CuMnO₂/rGO composite exhibits an elevated active surface area of 3670 cm² and lower resistance (1.04 Ω). Moreover, rGO provide higher surface area to catch more electrons for the enhancement in specific electrical conductivity for OER. Eventually, the synergistic interaction of CuMnO₂ and rGO enhances the stability and electrical conductivity of the composite by providing an electron transmission pathway and structural integrity. Therefore, the above stated results shows that synthesized composite exhibited remarkable efficacy in OER process.