A synergistic advancement of rGO-supported perovskite oxide composite for sustainable energy system

The effectiveness of hydrogen energy production via water splitting through the electrocatalytic route dramatically relies on the efficiency, cost and stability of electrocatalysts. Herein, a novel reduced graphene oxide (rGO)-incorporated NiCrO₃ (rGO/NiCrO₃) composite as an electrode material was produced by a sonication technique for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER). The electrochemical OER behaviour was studied in 1.0 M KOH electrolyte after coating the target composite on the Nickel foam (NF). Various analytical tools were implemented to analyze the composite's structure, purity and surface area. The rGO/NiCrO₃ composite exhibits remarkable OER efficacy with a reduced overpotential of 254 mV, achieving a standard current density (j: 10 mA/cm²) with a 35 mV/dec Tafel slope. Meanwhile, the reported composite shows a significant electrochemical surface area (ECSA) of 148 cm² and a lower impedance value (0.21 Ω). Moreover, the composite retains stability up to 50 h of the chronoamperometric testing. This work highlights the rapid electron flow because of the synergetic impact between rGO and NiCrO₃ and the enriched interfacial defects induced by rGO integration that improve oxygen adsorption and electrical properties at the active interface. Introducing a rGO nanosheet in the NiCrO₃ composite further enhances its electrocatalytic performance and increases diffusion at the electrode interface. Overall, this study presents a promising framework for efficient electrochemical energy generation.