Electrocatalytic activity of LaCoO3 on Ni-electrode for oxygen evolution reaction in 1M KOH at 25℃

Abstract

The alginic acid sol-gel (AA) method was used to synthesize perovskite-type oxide (LaCoO₃) for the electrocatalysis of water in an alkaline solution. The extra pure nitrate salts of lanthanum, and cobalt and alginic acid were used in this process. The TGA, FT-IR, and XRD techniques established the formation of perovskite-type oxide. The catalytic performance of fabricated oxide electrodes towards the electrochemical formation of oxygen by the splitting of water in an alkaline medium was explored using the Tafel polarization and cyclic voltammetry techniques. Based on the electrochemical investigation, fabricated LaCoO₃/Ni electrode exhibited comparatively better electrocatalytic activity for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) in 1M KOH solution due to its higher value of oxide roughness factor (R_F ≈ 16) and with slightly lower Tafel slope (b ≈ 85 mV dec^–1) than those prepared by the conventional routes. The OER followed a first-order reaction mechanism that occurred by the adsorption of reaction intermediates.