Metal Doped Layered MgB2 Nanoparticles as Novel Electrocatalysts for Water Splitting

Metal Doped Layered MgB2 Nanoparticles as Novel Electrocatalysts for Water Splitting | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Research Article Metal Doped Layered MgB 2 Nanoparticles as Novel Electrocatalysts for Water Splitting Ebrahim Sadeghi, Naeimeh Peighambardoust, Masoumeh Khatamian, and 2 more This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-109340/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Published Journal Publication published 08 Feb, 2021 Read the published version in Scientific Reports → Version 1 posted 8 You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract Growing environmental problems along with the galloping rate of population growth have raised an unprecedented challenge to look for an ever-lasting alternative source of energy for fossil fuels. The eternal quest for sustainable energy production strategies has culminated in the electrocatalytic water splitting process integrated with renewable energy resources. The successful accomplishment of this process is thoroughly subject to highly efficient, earth-abundant, and cost-effective electrocatalysts to drive the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) and hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), preferably, in the same electrolyte. The present contribution has been dedicated to studying the synthesis, characterization, and electrochemical properties of newfangled electrocatalysts with the formal composition of Mg 1- x Tm x B 2 ( x = 0.025, 0.05, and 0.1; Tm (transition metal) = Fe and Co) primarily in HER as well as OER under 1 M KOH medium. The electrochemical tests revealed that among all the metal-doped MgB 2 catalysts, Mg 0.95 Co 0.05 B 2 has the best HER performance showing an overpotential of 470 mV at -10 mA cm -2 and a Tafel slope of 80 mV dec -1 on account of its high purity and fast electron transport. Further investigation shed some light on the fact that Fe concentration and overpotential for HER have adverse relation meaning that the highest amount of Fe doping ( x = 0.1) displayed the lowest overpotential. This contribution introduces not only highly competent electrocatalysts composed of low-cost precursors for the water-splitting process but also a facile scalable method for the assembly of highly porous electrodes paving the way for further stunning developments in the field. Physical Chemistry Electrochemistry environmental hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) Figures Figure 1 Figure 2 Figure 3 Figure 4 Figure 5 Figure 6 Figure 7 Figure 8 Full Text Supplementary Files Supportinginformation.docx Cite Share Download PDF Status: Published Journal Publication published 08 Feb, 2021 Read the published version in Scientific Reports → Version 1 posted Editorial decision: Major revision 30 Dec, 2020 Reviews received at journal 28 Dec, 2020 Reviewers agreed at journal 19 Dec, 2020 Reviewers invited by journal 26 Nov, 2020 Editor assigned by journal 26 Nov, 2020 Editor invited by journal 20 Nov, 2020 Submission checks completed at journal 20 Nov, 2020 First submitted to journal 15 Nov, 2020 You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. Our growing team is made up of researchers and industry professionals working together to solve the most critical problems facing scientific publishing. Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-109340","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Research Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":5083083,"identity":"a0d0a698-5d55-47ab-9761-bd7ac29a6c36","order_by":0,"name":"Ebrahim Sadeghi","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Koç University","correspondingAuthor":false,"submittingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Ebrahim","middleName":"","lastName":"Sadeghi","suffix":""},{"id":5083085,"identity":"45944dce-bc89-465f-8bed-f2a0644d08c5","order_by":1,"name":"Naeimeh Peighambardoust","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Koç University","correspondingAuthor":false,"submittingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Naeimeh","middleName":"","lastName":"Peighambardoust","suffix":""},{"id":5083086,"identity":"398989c6-217d-40d9-a538-d973db58db49","order_by":2,"name":"Masoumeh Khatamian","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"University of Tabriz","correspondingAuthor":false,"submittingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Masoumeh","middleName":"","lastName":"Khatamian","suffix":""},{"id":5083088,"identity":"f80bad11-aa76-4a07-8918-9699a590f1c4","order_by":3,"name":"Ugur Unal","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Koç University","correspondingAuthor":false,"submittingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Ugur","middleName":"","lastName":"Unal","suffix":""},{"id":5083091,"identity":"9bd51a59-f5ec-4e77-be49-5b6e6fc96752","order_by":4,"name":"Umut Aydemir","email":"data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAZAAAAAyAQMAAABI0h/eAAAABlBMVEX///8AAABVwtN+AAAACXBIWXMAAA7EAAAOxAGVKw4bAAAAzklEQVRIiWNgGAWjYJACCRDi5wEx2UjRItkD1cJDpBYGBoMzxGoxOH7G8MbHHIt84zNnDBg+lB1msJc+QEDLmRxjy5nbJCy3ne0xYJxx7jADD18CAS0HcsykebdJGJid5zFg5m0DaiHkMoPzb8yk/wK1GPcDtfwlSssNoC2MQC0GvD0GzIzEaJG88azYsheoReLMsYKDPefSeXjOENDCdz55442f2+oM+HuSNz74UWYtx95DQAsDA4cBnHmAgbiYZH9AhKJRMApGwSgY0QAAzmw8bkkS/bQAAAAASUVORK5CYII=","orcid":"","institution":"Koç University","correspondingAuthor":true,"submittingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Umut","middleName":"","lastName":"Aydemir","suffix":""}],"badges":[],"createdAt":"2020-11-16 16:32:30","currentVersionCode":1,"declarations":"","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-109340/v1","doiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-109340/v1","draftVersion":[],"editorialEvents":[{"content":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-83066-7","type":"published","date":"2021-02-08T19:04:45+00:00"}],"editorialNote":"","failedWorkflow":false,"files":[{"id":3823541,"identity":"0b3e1c9b-7530-4f40-9fff-00a29406cb4d","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2020-11-25 16:28:43","extension":"jpg","order_by":1,"title":"Figure 1","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":1200153,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"XRD patterns of MgB2 and Mg1-xTmxB2 (x = 0.025, 0.05, and 0.1; Tm = Fe and ‎Co): impurity peaks of ‎Mg, MgO, and FeB/Fe2B are marked by *, #, and •, ‎respectively.‎","description":"","filename":"Figure1.jpg","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-109340/v1/18192fb98c27ec8f91899f40.jpg"},{"id":3823542,"identity":"0fb8b003-85c7-4804-97cc-387d18466e8e","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2020-11-25 16:28:43","extension":"jpg","order_by":2,"title":"Figure 2","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":423857,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"Schematic design of layered MgB2 structure. a) along the a-axis, b) along ‎the c-axis.‎","description":"","filename":"Figure2.jpg","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-109340/v1/ceb3b306a6809165127f3e46.jpg"},{"id":3823543,"identity":"67fdfe22-be6b-496b-824a-d10db0c4f3cc","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2020-11-25 16:28:44","extension":"jpg","order_by":3,"title":"Figure 3","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":16466632,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"XPS spectra of Mg 1s, B 1s, O 1s, Co 2p, and Fe 2p in MgB2, Mg0.9Co0.1B2, and ‎Mg0.9Fe0.1B2.‎","description":"","filename":"Figure3.jpg","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-109340/v1/695245abcdedabcc4f70353c.jpg"},{"id":3823544,"identity":"366bb33f-5d1b-4ecc-8cec-ff92ea1627bc","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2020-11-25 16:28:44","extension":"jpg","order_by":4,"title":"Figure 4","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":5858803,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"SEM images of a) pure MgB2, b) Mg0.975Co0.025B2, c) Mg0.95Co0.05B2, d) ‎Mg0.9Co0.1B2, e) Mg0.975Fe0.025B2, f) ‎Mg0.95Fe0.05B2, and g) Mg0.9Fe0.1B2.‎","description":"","filename":"Figure4.jpg","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-109340/v1/dc68654ce7973ae792c84f6b.jpg"},{"id":3823545,"identity":"1f11b998-5291-4111-a103-bb5cf021ec3a","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2020-11-25 16:28:44","extension":"jpg","order_by":5,"title":"Figure 5","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":3636445,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"SEM images of the working electrode surface.‎","description":"","filename":"Figure5.jpg","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-109340/v1/4f3e8736e22352aa812a5efe.jpg"},{"id":3823546,"identity":"4d92debf-9967-4c04-9552-42ca75b5b7c9","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2020-11-25 16:28:45","extension":"jpg","order_by":6,"title":"Figure 6","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":3400234,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"Polarization curves of a) the HER reaction of pure and doped MgB2, b) ‎and c) ‎Nyquist plots measured at OCP in ‎supporting electrolyte of 1 M KOH.‎","description":"","filename":"Figure6.jpg","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-109340/v1/c58ca027942aca98fa98493c.jpg"},{"id":3823547,"identity":"2bd60d45-a330-42c5-b6e8-33699e35fd4c","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2020-11-25 16:28:45","extension":"jpg","order_by":7,"title":"Figure 7","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":2237502,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"Fundamental electrochemical properties for HER. a) Overpotential at ‎‎−10 mA cm−2 of metal-doped MgB2, b) The corresponding Tafel plots of ‎undoped and doped MgB2. The colors indicating the same samples pictured ‎in Figure 6.‎","description":"","filename":"Figure7.jpg","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-109340/v1/4be60c37d43d339f674788ff.jpg"},{"id":3823548,"identity":"896ab3dc-98d1-4a8f-9203-9d1f4928eca0","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2020-11-25 16:28:45","extension":"jpg","order_by":8,"title":"Figure 8","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":532498,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"Illustration of final states of MgB2 powder, doped MgB2 pellets, and ‎the ‎working electrode.‎","description":"","filename":"Figure8.jpg","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-109340/v1/19992f4285268db24b0b37dd.jpg"},{"id":13558423,"identity":"78020519-1aa3-423a-8531-fa382f7e80b0","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2021-09-17 02:56:47","extension":"pdf","order_by":1,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"manuscript-pdf","size":2149641,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"Manuscript.pdf","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-109340/v1_covered.pdf"},{"id":3823549,"identity":"8cf2c21b-378c-4008-864e-cd99f2161b06","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2020-11-25 16:28:52","extension":"pdf","order_by":1,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"manuscript-pdf","size":1866792,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"Manuscript.pdf","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-109340/v1_stamped.pdf"},{"id":3823540,"identity":"9bdbb49c-5d0b-45e1-af87-c36958858173","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2020-11-25 16:28:43","extension":"docx","order_by":1,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"supplement","size":2362997,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"Supportinginformation.docx","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-109340/v1/c90cef1560a5afdffcacff71.docx"}],"financialInterests":"","formattedTitle":"\u003cp\u003eMetal Doped Layered MgB\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003e Nanoparticles as Novel Electrocatalysts for Water Splitting\u003c/p\u003e","fulltext":[{"header":"Full Text","content":"\u003cp\u003eThis preprint is available for \u003ca href='/article/rs-109340/latest.pdf' target='_blank'\u003edownload as a PDF\u003c/a\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e"}],"fulltextSource":"","fullText":"","funders":[],"hasAdminPriorityOnWorkflow":false,"hasManuscriptDocX":false,"hasOptedInToPreprint":true,"hasPassedJournalQc":"","hasAnyPriority":false,"hideJournal":false,"highlight":"","institution":"","isAcceptedByJournal":true,"isAuthorSuppliedPdf":true,"isDeskRejected":"","isHiddenFromSearch":false,"isInQc":false,"isInWorkflow":false,"isPdf":false,"isPdfUpToDate":true,"isWithdrawnOrRetracted":false,"journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"scientific-reports","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"externalIdentity":"scirep","sideBox":"Learn more about [Scientific Reports](http://www.nature.com/srep/)","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"","title":"Scientific Reports","twitterHandle":"","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":true,"editorialSystem":"stoa","reportingPortfolio":"Scientific Reports","inReviewEnabled":true,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true},"keywords":"environmental, hydrogen evolution reaction (HER)","lastPublishedDoi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-109340/v1","lastPublishedDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-109340/v1","license":{"name":"CC BY 4.0","url":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"},"manuscriptAbstract":"\u003cp\u003eGrowing environmental problems along with the galloping rate of population growth have raised an unprecedented challenge to look for an ever-lasting alternative source of energy for fossil fuels. The eternal quest for sustainable energy production strategies has culminated in the electrocatalytic water splitting process integrated with renewable energy resources. The successful accomplishment of this process is thoroughly subject to highly efficient, earth-abundant, and cost-effective electrocatalysts to drive the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) and hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), preferably, in the same electrolyte. The present contribution has been dedicated to studying the synthesis, characterization, and electrochemical properties of newfangled electrocatalysts with the formal composition of Mg\u003csub\u003e1-\u003cem\u003ex\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/sub\u003e\u003cem\u003eTm\u003c/em\u003e\u003csub\u003e\u003cem\u003ex\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/sub\u003eB\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003e (\u003cem\u003ex\u003c/em\u003e = 0.025, 0.05, and 0.1; \u003cem\u003eTm \u003c/em\u003e(transition metal) = Fe and Co) primarily in HER as well as OER under 1 M KOH medium. The electrochemical tests revealed that among all the metal-doped MgB\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003e catalysts, Mg\u003csub\u003e0.95\u003c/sub\u003eCo\u003csub\u003e0.05\u003c/sub\u003eB\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003e has the best HER performance showing an overpotential of 470 mV at -10 mA cm\u003csup\u003e-2\u003c/sup\u003e and a Tafel slope of 80 mV dec\u003csup\u003e-1\u003c/sup\u003e on account of its high purity and fast electron transport. Further investigation shed some light on the fact that Fe concentration and overpotential for HER have adverse relation meaning that the highest amount of Fe doping (\u003cem\u003ex\u003c/em\u003e = 0.1) displayed the lowest overpotential. This contribution introduces not only highly competent electrocatalysts composed of low-cost precursors for the water-splitting process but also a facile scalable method for the assembly of highly porous electrodes paving the way for further stunning developments in the field.\u003c/p\u003e","manuscriptTitle":"Metal Doped Layered MgB2 Nanoparticles as Novel Electrocatalysts for Water Splitting","msid":"","msnumber":"","nonDraftVersions":[{"code":1,"date":"2020-11-25 16:28:42","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-109340/v1","editorialEvents":[{"type":"communityComments","content":0},{"type":"decision","content":"Major revision","date":"2020-12-30T05:11:58+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorInvitedReview","content":"","date":"2020-12-28T16:18:04+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"5be46fad-5291-4902-946b-c3c036dbeaa3","date":"2020-12-19T13:25:25+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewersInvited","content":"","date":"2020-11-26T15:44:52+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorAssigned","content":"","date":"2020-11-26T14:59:48+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorInvited","content":"","date":"2020-11-20T12:40:50+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"checksComplete","content":"","date":"2020-11-20T12:18:37+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"submitted","content":"Scientific Reports","date":"2020-11-15T11:04:10+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""}],"status":"published","journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"scientific-reports","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"externalIdentity":"scirep","sideBox":"Learn more about [Scientific Reports](http://www.nature.com/srep/)","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"","title":"Scientific Reports","twitterHandle":"","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":true,"editorialSystem":"stoa","reportingPortfolio":"Scientific Reports","inReviewEnabled":true,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true}}],"origin":"","ownerIdentity":"bb7c4547-22ac-43c2-bf54-30d2225e341a","owner":[],"postedDate":"November 25th, 2020","published":true,"recentEditorialEvents":[],"rejectedJournal":[],"revision":"","amendment":"","status":"published-in-journal","subjectAreas":[{"id":1204468,"name":"Physical Chemistry"},{"id":1204469,"name":"Electrochemistry"}],"tags":[],"updatedAt":"2021-08-18T19:39:22+00:00","versionOfRecord":{"articleIdentity":"rs-109340","link":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-83066-7","journal":{"identity":"scientific-reports","isVorOnly":false,"title":"Scientific Reports"},"publishedOn":"2021-02-08 19:04:45","publishedOnDateReadable":"February 8th, 2021"},"versionCreatedAt":"2020-11-25 16:28:42","video":"","vorDoi":"10.1038/s41598-021-83066-7","vorDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-83066-7","workflowStages":[]},"version":"v1","identity":"rs-109340","journalConfig":"researchsquare"},"__N_SSP":true},"page":"/article/[identity]/[[...version]]","query":{"redirect":"/article/rs-109340","identity":"rs-109340","version":["v1"]},"buildId":"WrCJVZZCHTDjtuVLN7oU0","isFallback":false,"isExperimentalCompile":false,"dynamicIds":[84888],"gssp":true,"scriptLoader":[]}