Exceptional co-catalysts free SrTiO₃ perovskite coupled CdSe nanohybrid catalyst by green pulsed laser ablation for electrochemical hydrogen evolution reaction

In this study, a facile and green PLAL technique was used to synthesize nanohybrids consisting of SrTiO₃/CdSe, as efficient cathode material for electrocatalytic HER in a basic medium. Although pure SrTiO₃ perovskite has poor electrocatalytic performance, but the addition of CdSe has significantly enhanced its electrocatalytic HER activity. Synergistic interactions between SrTiO₃ and CdSe are critical to enhance the nanohybrid's electrocatalytic HER performance. An optimized concentration of SrTiO₃/CdSe demonstrated a significant current density of -10 mA/cm² at an overpotential of 224.2 mV, which is much better than the same current density achieved with bare SrTiO₃ and CdSe alone at overpotentials of 375.9 mV and 399.4 mV, respectively. SrTiO₃/CdSe nanohybrid follows intermediate hydrogen adsorption, which is explained by the Volmer-Heyrovsky step mechanism. The incorporation of CdSe into SrTiO₃ improved the nanohybrid's electrocatalytic HER performance by increasing the electrochemical surface area and number of active sites, hence facilitating the electron transfer at the semiconductor-electrolyte interface.