Hydrothermally synthesis Cd(OH)₂: a high efficiency catalyst for OER in green hydrogen production

The development of an OER electrocatalyst that combines remarkable durability with high activity is a major concern in today’s energy transition. This study utilizes a hydrothermal technique to synthesize Cd(OH)₂ directly on a nickel foam (NF) substrate for application as an electrocatalyst in the oxygen evolution reaction (OER). The impact of different synthesis temperature on electrocatalytic activity was evaluated, focusing specially on the overpotential needed to reach a current density of 10 mA.cm^{− 2} in 1 M KOH solution. The X-ray diffraction (XRD), Field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, and UV-Vis spectroscopy was employed to investigate the crystal structure, surface morphology, functional groups and optical properties of the synthesized Cd(OH)₂ samples, respectively. The catalytic performance of Cd(OH)₂ in water splitting is discussed based on the change in structural, microstructural and optical properties. The outcome demonstrates the high activity of the Cd(OH)₂ electrocatalyst in generating. The Cd(OH)₂ electrocatalyst show a remarkable performance for OER with low overpotential (358 mV at 10 mA.cm^{− 2}) and low Tafel slope (66 mV.dec^{− 1}) in 1 M KOH.