Ag-NiP Deposited Green Carbon Channels Embedded NiP Panels for Sustainable Water Splitting

Abstract

Ag-NiP-deposited carbon channels on NiP panels were successfully developed through lemon juice extract (Ag-CL/NiP) and citric acid (Ag-CC/NiP)-assisted methodologies. The methods involved the precise execution of electroless deposition of the advanced Ag-Carbon matrix with NiP. The lemon juice-assisted method produced carbon channels with a dense concentration of Ag-NiP on the electrode surface, whereas the citric acid method resulted in a less dense deposition of Ag-NiP on the electrode surface, as obseved from FE-SEM. The Ag-CL/NiP has remarkably higher electro- and photocatalytic water splitting performance due to the compact and conductive Ag-NiP connected with carbon channels Electrochemical impedance analysis of Ag-CL/NiP revealed a low Rct of 491.3 Ω at the open circuit potential, indicating enhanced conductivity. The electrocatalytic Oxygen Evolution Reaction (OER) overpotential of Ag-CL/NiP was 401 mV to achieve a current density of 50 mA cm-2, with a Tafel slope of 46.5 mV.dec-1. The panel exhibited good stability, with a proven durability of over 1000 cycles of CV during OER. The developed panel achieved an impressive photo current density of ̴9.5 mA cm⁻² at 1.37 V vs. RHE when subjected to light irradiation with a wavelength exceeding 420 nm. Furthermore, the Ag-CL/NiP panel demonstrated the ability to generate 17.5 mmol cm⁻² of H₂ over a 4-hour sunlight irradiation period. Temperature-controlled photocatalytic water splitting performance showed that the panel remained active at a lower temperatures upto ~12°C, with ̴40% decrease in photocatalytic efficiency than that under normal sunlight conditions.