Towards highly efficient and low-cost oxygen evolution reaction electrocatalysts: An effective method of electronic waste management by utilizing waste Cu cable wires

• Published in: Journal of colloid and interface science Vol. 537; pp. 43 - 49
• Main Authors: Babar, Pravin, Lokhande, Abhishek, Karade, Vijay, Pawar, Bharati, Gang, Myeng Gil, Pawar, Sambhaji, Kim, Jin Hyeok
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Elsevier Inc 01.03.2019
• Subjects: Cu(OH)2; Nanowires; NiFe hydroxide; Oxygen evolution reaction; Waste Cu cable wire; NiFe hydroxide; Cu(OH)2; Oxygen evolution reaction; Nanowires; Waste Cu cable wire; Cu(OH)
• ISSN: 0021-9797; 1095-7103
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jcis.2018.10.079

[Display omitted] Currently, electronic waste (e-waste) is the world’s most challenging and rapidly growing problem in the waste stream. To develop an alternative way to use e-waste (waste copper (Cu) wires) to accelerate the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) of water electrolysis, the waste Cu wires are used as a low-cost current collector. We demonstrate a simple electrodeposition process to deposit nickel-iron hydroxide (NiFe LDH) nanosheets on self-supported copper hydroxide (Cu(OH)2/Cu) nanowires grown via chemical-oxidation on waste Cu wire. Benefiting from the efficient electron transport, high mass activity, and surface area this electrocatalyst exhibits an efficient OER performance with a low overpotential of 275 mV and 390 mV at 20 and 100 mA cm−2 respectively, with excellent stability. This work provides a promising pathway to recycle e-waste into value-added resources in various energy conversion applications.