Fe‐Phthalocyanine‐Decorated CoFe 2 O 4 Nanoparticles Anchored on CNTs for Enhanced Alkaline Water Splitting
Ningma Dorzi Sherpa, Hiren Jungi, Shakil Ahammad Chowdhury, Nilankar Diyali, Hiranmay Barma, Rupam Sengupta, Nitish RoyABSTRACT
Bifunctional CoFe 2 O 4 /FePc/CNT catalysts were successfully synthesized with varying Co:Fe molar ratios via a simple thermal treatment strategy at 500 °C. Structural and compositional analyses by powder x‐ray diffraction and x‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy confirmed the formation of spinel CoFe 2 O 4 and the incorporation of FePc, while high resolution transmission electron microscopy revealed deposition of ∼5 nm CoFe 2 O 4 nanoparticles and FePc species on functionalized CNTs. Electrochemical studies demonstrated that the optimized CoFe 2 O 4 /FePc/CNT catalyst (Co:Fe = 1:1) exhibits superior bifunctional activity toward hydrogen evolution (HER) and oxygen evolution reactions (OER) in 0.5 M KOH, achieving low over potentials of 160 mV (HER) and 230 mV (OER) at ∼10 mA cm − 2 , with Tafel slopes of 76 and 87 mV dec − 1 , respectively. Long‐term cycling tests confirm excellent durability, and overall water splitting in a two‐electrode configuration proceeds at a low cell voltage of ∼1.72 V, demonstrating efficient and stable performance. The synergistic integration of CoFe 2 O 4 , FePc, and CNTs, combined with defect engineering and interfacial charge modulation, underpins the enhanced electrocatalytic activity, highlighting the potential of this material as a cost‐effective, robust bifunctional catalyst for practical water‐splitting applications.