Ruthenium-anchored aminated MWCNTs/polyaniline membrane electrode assembly for alkaline water splitting

Here, we present a ruthenium-anchored aminated multi-walled carbon nanotube-based bifunctional electrocatalyst for alkaline water splitting (Ru@AM-MWCNTs). The method involves functionalizing MWCNTs before stabilising the ruthenium active sites. The prepared Ru@AM-MWCNTs displayed a low overpotential of 67 mV for HER on a glassy carbon electrode in a 1 M KOH electrolyte. Further, to promote the OER activity, Ru@AM-MWCNTs is sintered at 300 degrees C which reflected the OER at 283 mV overpotential at a current density of 10 mAcm(-2). The MEA made up of free-standing polyaniline and Ru@AM-MWCNTs as cathode and T-Ru@AM-MWCNTs as anode on nickel foam, achieved 80 % faradic efficiency for water splitting. In a 1 M KOH, it maintained a current density of 0.51 Acm(-2) for 30 h at an onset potential of 2 V, surpassing the Neosepta membrane's performance under identical experimental conditions. Furthermore, the produced oxygen is 98 % pure, demonstrating the MEA's excellent potential for green hydrogen production.