Development of Vanadium Oxide/Manganese Sellenide Nanocomposite as Robust Bifunctional Electrocatalyst for Oxygen Evolution Reaction and Hydrogen Evolution Reaction

For the expansion of alternative energy structure, it is crucial to develop a bifunctional electrocatalyst for the water splitting process. In this study, we present a novel nanocomposite of Vanadium Oxide and manganese Sellenide ((V₂O₅/MnSe) directly grown on copper foam (CF) using straightforward hydrothermal method, and then characterized via different analytical characteristics. After that the fabricated nanocomposite demonstrates the exceptional electrocatalytic activity for both the hydrogen evolution process (HER) and the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) in a 1.0 M KOH solution. At a current density of 10 mAcm^-2, V₂O₅/MnSe has exceptionally low overpotentials of 130 mV for HER and 217 mV for OER. Due to the protective properties of the V₂O₅ layers, the catalyst demonstrates exceptional stability of 50 h in alkaline environments. Furthermore, the fabricated nanocomposite V₂O₅/MnSe also shows the tafel slope of 44, and 69 mV/dec for OER and HER, respectively. Hence, the increased catalyst efficacy is a result of the synergistic interaction between the V₂O₅ and MnSe. On the other hand, the presence of MnSe nanoparticles dispersed precisely and inhibit the aggregation process effectively, maximizing active site exposure. In addition, the presence of V₂O₅ shields these exposed metal particles while increasing the material's electrical conductivity. This study reveals a feasible process for the production of bifunctional electrocatalysts with superior performance and stability. These findings introduce novel concepts for advancing the field of water splitting to produce green energy, which will contribute to the ongoing development of electrocatalytic technology.