Mesoporous cobalt phosphate as efficient electrocatalyst for oxygen evolution reaction

• Main Author: Chow, Jing Lun
• Other Authors: Alex Yan Qingyu
• Format: Final Year Project
• Language: English
• Published: 2019
• Subjects: Engineering::Chemical engineering::Fuel; Engineering::Materials
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10356/78922
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

A need for alternative sustainable sources of energy is a growing concern, and hydrogen as a carrier of energy is often looked upon as a clean and sustainable pathway. Hydrogen can be obtained from water-splitting. Current methods of obtaining hydrogen are still costly as electrocatalyst used in water splitting reactions are expensive noble metals. Therefore, it is important to find cheaper alternative of electrocatalysts which enables us to achieve cost effective production of hydrogen. When powered by a clean source of energy, water electrolysis has the potential to replace the familiar sources of fossil fuel. Reducing the reliance on conventional fuels will lessen the environmental impact of carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuels. The report aims to highlight the performance of mesoporous Co3(PO4)2 (cobalt phosphate) as a low cost electrocatalyst with a low overpotential of 360mV at a current density of 10mA/cm-2, and good OER performance with a Tafel slope of 77.23mV dec-1. In comparison to current electrocatalyst, mesoporous Co3(PO4)2 also display a minimal degradation which reflects minimal decrease in activity overtime. The performance of the synthesized electrocatalyst shows promise as an alternative which is low cost and easily synthesizable.