Designing mesoporous Cu2SnS3 on nickel foam as a self-supported hydrogen evolution catalyst in a neutral electrolyte.

Abstract

Although electrochemical water splitting has emerged as an attractive technique for hydrogen generation, high cost and scarcity of noble-metal catalysts remain a concern. While neutral electrolytes offer advantages in stability and reduced corrosion, they suffer from poor reaction kinetics compared to acidic media. Therefore, designing low-cost electrocatalysts for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) that can efficiently operate in neutral electrolytes is an important process step in this technology. Herein, we report the successful synthesis of earth-abundant mesoporous cubic Cu2SnS3 (CTS) nanoparticles and demonstrate enhanced electrochemical activity of these nanoparticles supported on a conductive nickel foam scaffold in a neutral electrolyte. The engineered mesoporosity significantly enhances the density of accessible catalytic sites, while the Ni foam facilitates rapid charge transfer. Electrochemical measurements reveal a low overpotential of ∼288 mV, a Tafel slope of ∼329 mV dec-1, an exchange current density of 1.46 mA cm-2 and a low charge transfer resistance of ∼301 Ω. These results highlight size-regulated CTS nanoparticles as a cost-effective and efficient solution for hydrogen generation under environment friendly, neutral pH conditions.

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