Electrochemical Performance Evaluation of Bimetallic Sulfide Nanocomposite with Fullerene (CeNdS/C₆₀) for Efficient Oxygen Evolution Reaction (OER)

In recent decades, developing cost-stable electrocatalysts for oxygen evolution reactions at low overpotential has still been challenging for chemical energy conversion devices. In the present work, we have reported the facile development of the CeNdS/C₆₀ nanocomposite via the solution method. The covered C₆₀ over CeNdS is confirmed by TEM and STEM, providing strong interfacial interaction between CeNdS and C₆₀. In a medium consisting of 1.00 M KOH, CeNdS/C₆₀ electrode displayed a very small overpotential of 346 mV and a small Tafel slope of 68 mV dec^-1 at a benchmark current density. Chronoamperometric and continuous CV sweeps confirmed the good stability of this catalyst at a scan rate of 5 mV s^-1 (5000 cycles). The turnover frequency of CeNdS/C₆₀ was 1.7 s^-1, and the corresponding electrochemically active surface area was 3057.5 cm². Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) surface area results also confirmed the attachment of C₆₀ particles with CeNdS by developing a high surface area with porous channels that further facilitate electrolyte penetration and the charge transfer rate, thus improving the OER property of CeNdS/C₆₀. All performed techniques showed that the presence of Nd and C₆₀ ions in the CeNdS/C₆₀ catalyst is responsible for growing the superb intrinsic OER catalytic activity. Furthermore, these findings have revealed an excellent potential for CeS-based electrocatalysts for more electrochemical energy-conversion applications.