Fabrication of Highly Porous and Sheet Like Fe₃O₄‐Carbon Nanocomposites: A Versatile Catalyst for Electrocatalytic Oxygen Evolution Reactions

Abstract

Fuel cells and metal‐air batteries are examples of renewable energy technologies that depend on having highly effective electrocatalysts for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER). In this study, a mesoporous nanostructure composed of Fe3O4‐Carbon nanocomposites was synthesised using a simple and economically viable approach at a relatively low temperature. The observed catalytic activity of the prepared defected Fe3O4‐Carbon nanocomposites mesoporous nanostructure was found to be remarkable. Additionally, the nanostructure exhibited a high tolerance to methanol and demonstrated durability towards the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) in alkaline media. In the course of the experiment, it was observed that the catalyst exhibited noteworthy activity in the Oxygen Evolution Reaction (OER) when compared to the commercially available RuO2 catalyst. This was evident through a more overpotential value of 325 mV at current density of 10 mA/cm2. The catalyst‘s notable capacity for high oxygen reaction activity may potentially enhance the synergistic effect resulting from the combination of defect sites and the porous structure of Fe3O4‐Carbon nanocomposites. The findings of this study indicate that the Fe3O4‐Carbon nanocomposites nanostructures exhibit promising attributes as an electrocatalyst for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) in real‐world scenarios.