ZnAl₂O₄ decorated on graphitic carbon nitride (g-CN) composite as efficient electrocatalyst for water oxidation in alkaline medium

The main purpose of this research is to form highly effective and novel electrocatalysts for water splitting procedure, a pivotal step in the generation of sustainable energy. Cost-effective metal oxides exhibited superior benefits compared to alternative materials when used for oxygen evolution reactions (OER) in alkaline electrolyte. Our study focuses on the preparation of ZnAl₂O₄@g-CN composite by utilizing hydrothermal approach for electrocatalytic water splitting. The electrocatalytic potential of prepared electrocatalyst was observed by a comprehensive series of tests. Numerous electrochemical approaches such as chronoamperometry and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and cyclic voltammetry (CV) were implemented to analyze catalytic procedure and durability in basic medium. The electrocatalytic tests of ZnAl₂O₄@g-CN composite reveal a remarkable overpotential of 209 mV, enabling the attainment of current density (C_d) 10 mA/cm². Additionally, the composite shows significantly lower Tafel value (36 mV/dec) and has remarkable durability for 30 h. These characteristics mutually designate that electrocatalyst is well-suited for OER procedure. Therefore, the fabricated composite exhibited excellent efficacy in OER procedure as well as for several other upcoming applications.