Facile fabrication of graphene oxide/zinc selenide nanocomposite for efficient oxygen evolution reaction

The electrolysis of water for substantial production of hydrogen and oxygen with very high purity is considered as a potentially practical technology. In the present study, we have fabricated a graphene-oxide hybrid zinc-selenide electrocatalyst and characterized it using different techniques. XRD analysis confirms the phase purity and crystal structure of the electrocatalyst. Furthermore, the elemental arrangement and morphology of the electrocatalyst were examined by electron dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). To check the activity of electrocatalysts through electrochemical cyclic voltammetry (CV), linear cyclic voltammetry (LSV), and impedance analysis have represented that catalyst activation occurs at lower applied potential because of the decrease of electro-negativity of the anion. The ZnSe also displayed efficient OER catalytic performance in a basic medium, making it a very energetic bifunctional electro-catalyst for water splitting with a cell voltage of 1.38 V and an overpotential of 155 mV at 10 mA/cm².