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US-12624467-B1 - Trimetallic iron nickel vanadium oxide (FeNiVOx) composite catalysts deposited on nickel foam for enhanced oxygen evolution reaction

US12624467B1US 12624467 B1US12624467 B1US 12624467B1US-12624467-B1

Abstract

A catalyst includes an iron nickel vanadium oxide (FeNiVO x ) nanocomposite on a nickel foam (NF). The FeNiVO x nanocomposite has an iron (Fe) content ranging from 10 atomic percent (at. %) to 25 at. %, a nickel (Ni) content ranging from 10 at. % to 25 at. %, and a vanadium (V) content ranging from 18 at. % to 32 at. %. The catalyst is formed through aerosol-assisted chemical vapor deposition depositing Fe, Ni, and V oxides onto the NF. The FeNiVO x nanocomposite forms particles on the NF, the NF having 20 to 60 pores per centimeter (pores/cm) and a porosity from 90 percent (%) to 99%. Furthermore, the catalyst has an electrochemical active surface area (ECSA) greater than or equal to 140 cm 2 and the catalyst has a minimum overpotential of less than or equal to 430 mV at 1 amperes per square centimeter (A·cm −2 ) when used to catalyze the oxygen evolution reaction.

Inventors

  • Muhammad Ali Ehsan
  • Abbas Saeed Hakeem

Assignees

  • KING FAHD UNIVERSITY OF PETROLEUM AND MINERALS

Dates

Publication Date
20260512
Application Date
20250620

Claims (19)

  1. 1 . A catalyst, including: an iron nickel vanadium oxide (FeNiVO x ) nanocomposite on a nickel foam (NF), wherein the FeNiVO x nanocomposite has an iron (Fe) content in a range from 10 to 25 atomic (at. %), a nickel (Ni) content in a range from 10 to 25 at. %, and a vanadium (V) content in a range from 18 to 26 at. %, wherein the catalyst is formed through aerosol-assisted chemical vapor deposition (AACVD) depositing Fe, Ni, and V oxides onto the NF, wherein the FeNiVO x nanocomposite is in the form of solid spherical particles on the NF, wherein the NF has 20 to 60 pores per centimeter (pores/cm) and a porosity from 90 percent (%) to 99%, wherein the catalyst has an electrochemical active surface area (ECSA) greater than or equal to 140 centimeter square (cm 2 ), and wherein the catalyst has a minimum overpotential of less than or equal to 430 millivolts (mV) at 1 amperes per square centimeter (A·cm −2 ) when used to catalyze the oxygen evolution reaction (OER).
  2. 2 . The catalyst of claim 1 , wherein the FeNiVO x nanocomposite has a Fe content in a range from 14 to 18 at. %, a Ni content in a range from 15 to 19 at. %, and a V content in a range from 22 to 26 at. %.
  3. 3 . The catalyst of claim 2 , wherein the FeNiVO x nanocomposite has a Fe content of 16 at. %, a Ni content of 17 at. %, and a V content of 25 at. %.
  4. 4 . The catalyst of claim 1 , wherein the catalyst has a minimum overpotential of less than or equal to 400 mV at 1 A·cm −2 when used to catalyze OER.
  5. 5 . The catalyst of claim 4 , wherein the catalyst has a minimum overpotential of less than or equal to 370 mV at 1 A·cm −2 when used to catalyze OER.
  6. 6 . The catalyst of claim 1 , wherein the catalyst has an ECSA greater than or equal to 200 cm 2 .
  7. 7 . The catalyst of claim 6 , wherein the catalyst has an ECSA greater than or equal to 280 cm 2 .
  8. 8 . The catalyst of claim 1 , wherein the catalyst has a minimum overpotential of less than or equal to 320 mV at 10 mA·cm −2 when used to catalyze OER.
  9. 9 . The catalyst of claim 8 , wherein the catalyst has a minimum overpotential of less than or equal to 270 mV at 10 mA·cm −2 when used to catalyze OER.
  10. 10 . The catalyst of claim 9 , wherein the catalyst has a minimum overpotential of less than or equal to 250 mV at 10 mA·cm −2 when used to catalyze OER.
  11. 11 . The catalyst of claim 1 , wherein the catalyst has an onset potential of less than or equal to 300 mV at 1.51 volts (V) vs reversible hydrogen electrode (RHE) when used to catalyze OER.
  12. 12 . The catalyst of claim 1 , wherein the catalyst has an onset potential of less than or equal to 270 mV at 1.49 V vs RHE when used to catalyze OER.
  13. 13 . The catalyst of claim 1 , wherein the catalyst has an onset potential of less than or equal to 240 mV at 1.46 V vs RHE when used to catalyze OER.
  14. 14 . The catalyst of claim 1 , wherein the catalyst has a charge transfer resistance (R ct ) value in a range from 2.0 to 2.4 ohms (9) when used to catalyze OER.
  15. 15 . The catalyst of claim 1 , wherein the catalyst has an R ct value in a range from 1.3 to 1.7Ω when used to catalyze OER.
  16. 16 . The catalyst of claim 1 , wherein the catalyst has an R ct value in a range from 1.1 to 1.5Ω when used to catalyze OER.
  17. 17 . The catalyst of claim 1 , wherein the catalyst has a turnover frequency (TOF) in a range from 0.65 to 0.8 second inverse (s −1 ) at an overpotential of 350 mV when used to catalyze OER.
  18. 18 . The catalyst of claim 1 , wherein the catalyst has a TOF in a range from 0.2 to 0.3 s −1 at an overpotential of 350 mV when used to catalyze OER.
  19. 19 . The catalyst of claim 1 , wherein the catalyst has a TOF in a range from 0.15 to 0.25 s −1 at an overpotential of 350 mV when used to catalyze OER.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION The present disclosure claims the benefit of Saudi Patent Application No. 1020254103 filed on Jun. 10, 2025, with the Saudi Authority for Intellectual Property Office, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. STATEMENT REGARDING PRIOR DISCLOSURE BY THE INVENTORS Aspects of the present disclosure are described in Ehsan, M., et al., “Controlled deposition of trimetallic Fe—Ni—V oxides on nickel foam as high-performance electrocatalysts for oxygen evolution reaction” published in Volume 98, International Journal of Hydrogen Energy, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. STATEMENT OF ACKNOWLEDGEMENT Support provided by the Interdisciplinary Research Center for Hydrogen Technologies and Carbon Management, King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals, Saudi Arabia, is gratefully acknowledged. BACKGROUND Technical Field The present disclosure is directed towards a catalyst, and more particularly trimetallic iron nickel vanadium oxide (FeNiVOx) composite catalysts deposited on nickel foam (NF) for enhanced oxygen evolution reaction (OER). Description of Related Art The “background” description provided herein is for the purpose of generally presenting the context of the disclosure. Work of the presently named inventors, to the extent it is described in this background section, as well as aspects of the description which may not otherwise qualify as prior art at the time of filing, are neither expressly nor impliedly admitted as prior art against the present disclosure. Fossil fuels dominate global energy use, leading to resource depletion and environmental damage, emphasizing the urgent need for sustainable alternatives. Hydrogen (H2) has emerged as a clean energy alternative with high energy density and zero carbon emissions, offering a viable solution to meet future energy demands and combat climate change [Sikiru, S., et al., Hydrogen-powered horizons: Transformative technologies in clean energy generation, distribution, and storage for sustainable innovation, International Journal of Hydrogen Energy, Volume 56, 2024, Pages 1152-1182]. Abundant hydrogen is required for use as a fuel, as pure reserves are insufficient on Earth. However, hydrogen can be produced from fossil fuels, coal, and water through various processing methods [Megia, P., et al., Hydrogen production technologies: From fossil fuels toward renewable sources. A mini review, Energy Fuels, 2021, 35, 20, 16403-16415]. Hydrogen production through water oxidation has gained attention as a core technology for renewable energy storage in the form of chemical fuel. However, water oxidation via electrolysis remains challenging due to high anodic overpotential and slow reaction rate of the oxygen (O2) evolution reaction (OER, 4OH−→2H2O+4e−+O2 in alkaline media). Therefore, research has been conducted on electrochemical water splitting as a method to achieve clean and scalable hydrogen energy [Hassan, N. et al., Recent review and evaluation of green hydrogen production via water electrolysis for a sustainable and clean energy society, International Journal of Hydrogen Energy, Volume 52, Part B, 2024, Pages 420-441]. Traditional hydrogen production methods, such as steam methane reforming, coal gasification, and biological processes, faced drawbacks, including high carbon emissions, low efficiency, and elevated costs. These limitations highlighted the need for cleaner and more efficient alternatives, making electrocatalysis a promising and sustainable solution for hydrogen generation. Among electrocatalytic methods, electrochemical water splitting is a useful approach, involving two major steps of the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and the oxygen evolution reaction (OER), both of which are energy-intensive processes [Li, L., et al., Metallic nanostructures with low dimensionality for electrochemical water splitting, Chem. Soc. Rev., 2020, 49, 3072-3106]. OER receives attention because of its intricate electron-proton transfer process, which hinders reaction kinetics and necessitates a high overpotential for efficient progress [She, L., et al., On the durability of iridium-based electrocatalysts toward the oxygen evolution reaction under acid environment, Adv. Funct. Mater., 2022, 32, 2108465]. Therefore, designing electrocatalytic systems that are affordable, sustainable, and capable of high conductivity with efficient electron transfer is needed to overcome the kinetic challenges associated with OER. In response, researchers have focused on developing catalysts that combine high activity with long-term durability, enabling OER to proceed rapidly while minimizing energy consumption. Moreover, to enhance productivity and reduce costs, these catalysts should be made from abundant and cost-effective materials. Extensive research on noble metal oxides such as iridium dioxide (IrO2) and ruthenium dioxide (RuO2) exhibit high catalytic activity in OER processes, but high cost and limi