Construction of g-CN/SnSe nanocomposite through a hydrothermal approach for enhanced OER study

Concerning environmental issues, including global warming and the reduction of hydrocarbon assets, the utilization of environmentally sustainable energy production is imperative nowadays. In this regard, water electrolysis is considered the most prominent and ecologically sustainable technique for the production of hydrogen. However, owing to its sluggish OER, designing electrode materials with remarkable efficiency becomes crucial for boosting the functioning of water electrolysis. In the present investigation, we successfully developed the SnSe catalyst incorporated into graphitic carbon nitride (g-CN) via a simple hydrothermal approach. The various approaches were used to characterize g-CN/SnSe nanocomposite. Meanwhile, g-CN/SnSe nanocomposite demonstrated exceptional catalytic properties for OER under 1.0 M alkaline electrolyte (KOH), which exhibited low overpotential (241 mV) to obtain ideal j (10 mA cm-- 2 ) and an exceptional stability (20 h). It also demonstrated a low onset potential (1.27 V), a significant electrochemical active surface area (ECSA) of 592.5 cm2 2 and an impressive Tafel value (38 mV dec-1),- 1 ), significantly superior to the pure SnSe nanomaterial. The observed improved performance can be attributed to enhanced morphological properties and significant surface area. The above-reported nanocomposite (g-CN/SnSe) shows great potential for OER and other electrochemical systems because of its numerous active sites, faster electron transfer process, exceptional durability and good electrical conductivity.