Defect-engineered V2O5-SrTiO3 heterostructure with abundant surface oxygen vacancies for enhanced alkaline oxygen evolution catalysis.

Abstract

Developing efficient electrocatalysts is crucial for addressing clean energy and environmental challenges. Electrocatalysts for water splitting offer substantial promise for sustainable energy systems and meeting global demand for renewable energy. However, high-performance catalysts for the electrochemical oxygen evolution reaction (EOER) remain a significant challenge. To achieve a highly efficient catalytic system, we have designed a hybrid electrocatalyst composed of SrTiO3 perovskite oxide nanoparticles and V2O5. The V2O5-SrTiO3 nanohybrid is anticipated to form a heterojunction structure enriched with surface oxygen vacancies and Ti3+ defect sites to effectively promote oxygen generation during water splitting in alkaline media (1 M KOH). Electrochemical measurements reveal that the V2O5-SrTiO3 composite exhibits remarkable OER performance, featuring a low overpotential at 20 mA cm-2, enhanced double-layer capacitance, expanded electrochemical surface area, and enhanced specific capacity. The superior catalytic activity is primarily attributed to the synergistic interaction between SrTiO3 and V2O5, where the layered structure and redox-active nature of V2O5 play a pivotal role. This study underscores the potential of V2O5-SrTiO3 composites as robust and efficient OER electrocatalysts, offering valuable insights for the development of next-generation materials for sustainable energy conversion.

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