ISSN print edition: 0366-6352 ISSN electronic edition: 1336-9075 Registr. No.: MK SR 9/7 Published monthly

Enhancement of electrocatalytic performance in CeO₂–V₂O₅–rGO heterojunction nanocomposites as a bi-functional catalyst for OER and HER in the alkaline medium

Saeed Farhang Sahlevani, Murugesan Praveen Kumar, Natesan Kumaresan, Domingo Ruiz León, Héctor Valdés Morales, Sasikumar Moorthy, S. Sasikala, and Ramalinga Viswanathan Mangalaraja

Facultad de Ingeniería, Universidad de Arturo Prat (UNAP), Iquique, Chile

E-mail: saeedfarhang.eng@gmail.com

Received: 26 October 2024  Accepted: 3 April 2025

Abstract:

The generation of hydrogen through the electrocatalytic water-splitting process is pivotal for the establishment of hydrogen economy. Yet, there remains a need to focus on abundant and non-toxic materials for this process to become more efficient and less polluting. In this study, we developed a low-cost, less toxic and bi-functional CeO₂–V₂O₅–rGO (CVR) heterojunction nanocomposite electrocatalyst. Its performance is comparable to the benchmark Ni plate in a 1-M KOH solution, and it can be prepared via a straightforward solvothermal method at the lower temperatures. The newly synthesized electrocatalyst exhibits the remarkable performance in the overall water-splitting as a bi-functional electrocatalyst in the alkaline electrolyte medium. The onset potential of the CVR heterojunction nanocomposite for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) and hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) is 1.75 and − 0.323 V versus reversible hydrogen electrode (RHE), respectively. A key significant finding of our research is that the reduced graphene oxide (rGO) considerably enhances the electronic conductivity of the bi-metallic oxides, leading to the efficient hydrogen production and moving us one step closer to an ideal platform for catalytic processes. Our work not only points toward the direction of efficient catalysts and improved the electrocatalytic performance of the two semiconductor nanomaterials with rGO but also offers an effective model for an in-depth mechanistic understanding of the electrochemical water-splitting.

Keywords: Chemical hydrogen storage; Electrocatalysis; Graphene Oxide; Hydrogen Energy; Hydrogen Fuel; Materials for Energy and Catalysis; Ternary CeO2–rGO–V2O5 nanocomposite; Electrocatalysis; Green hydrogen

Full paper is available at www.springerlink.com.

DOI: 10.1007/s11696-025-04050-3

Chemical Papers 79 (6) 3985–4000 (2025)