BIMETALLIC NIFE SYSTEMS (Syllabus: GS Paper 3 – Sci and Tech)

Context: A new study claims that a bimetallic Nickel-Iron layered double hydroxide system is the most efficient for oxygen production through water splitting.

Bimetallic NiFe Systems

• Introduction: A bimetallic Nickel Iron layered double hydroxide (NiFe LDH) system has been identified as highly efficient for O2 production via water splitting.
• Composition: NiFe LDHs integrate nickel (Ni) and iron (Fe) at a molecular level, featuring positively charged metal hydroxide layers interspersed with anions and water molecules.
• Catalytic Properties: These systems exhibit robust catalytic activity for the OER, critical for efficient water splitting due to their high surface area and catalytic sites.
• Applications: Widely utilized in electrochemical cells for producing hydrogen and oxygen, NiFe systems also find applications in batteries, supercapacitors, and other energy conversion devices.
• Advantages: Cost-effective compared to precious metal catalysts like platinum and iridium, NiFe systems leverage abundant and inexpensive metals, enhancing sustainability in catalysis and energy technologies.

Research

• Conducted by: The Institute of Advanced Study in Science and Technology (IASST) under the auspices of the Department of Science and Technology (DST).
• Key Finding:

oNiFe LDH efficiently produces O2 through water splitting, negating the need for trimetallic solutions to enhance productivity.

oWater splitting is an eco-friendly method to generate pure H2 and O2 at scale without ecological harm.

oScientists have targeted the Hydrogen Evolution Reaction (HER) and Oxygen Evolution Reaction (OER) to boost water splitting efficiency.

oNiFe Layered Double Hydroxide (LDH), they synthesized two other trimetallic systems ZnNiFe layered double hydroxide and CoNiFe LDH, and investigated its electrocatalytic activity in 1M KOH.