Ternary Micronano Electrodes Based on rGO/NiO/ZnO are Used for Efficient Electrolytic Hydrogen Production from Methanol.

In this study, a rGO/NiO/ZnO composite nanomaterial catalytic electrode was successfully prepared on a nickel foam substrate (1 × 1 cm2) by combining the impregnation method with the hydrothermal method, and its MOR and HER properties in methanol solution were systematically studied. A comprehensive analysis of the microscopic morphology and elemental composition of the composite materials was conducted using a range of characterization methods, including TEM, SEM, and XRD. The results of the electrochemical performance test show that remarkable electrocatalytic performance is exhibited in both the electrolyte containing and without methanol: when the current density is 10 mA cm-2, the OER overpotential is only 84 mV, and the HER overpotential is 122 mV (1 M KOH). When the current density is 10 mA cm -2, the MOR overpotential is only 91 mV, and the HER overpotential is 92 mV (1 M KOH and 1 M CH3OH). Furthermore, the influence of temperature on the performance of electrolytic catalytic hydrogen evolution was investigated. Subsequent tests by cyclic voltammetry (CV) and current-time curve (i-t) confirmed that the catalytic electrode exhibited significant electrochemical stability (LSV stability reached 98.68%). The scheme provides a new synthetic approach to producing catalytic materials for hydrogen generation by means of methanol electrolysis.