High-Performance Catalytic Oxygen Evolution with Nanocellulose-Derived Biocarbon and Fe/Zeolite/Carbon Nanotubes

Javier Hernandez-Ortega; Chamak Ahmed; Andre Molina; Ronald C. Sabo; Lorena E. Sanchez Sánchez Cadena; Bonifacio Alvarado Alvarado Tenorio; Carlos R. Cabrera; Juan C. Noveron

doi:10.3390/catal15080719

Treesearch

High-Performance Catalytic Oxygen Evolution with Nanocellulose-Derived Biocarbon and Fe/Zeolite/Carbon Nanotubes

Formally Refereed

Authors:

Javier Hernandez-Ortega, Chamak Ahmed, Andre Molina, Ronald C. Sabo, Lorena E. Sanchez Sánchez Cadena, Bonifacio Alvarado Alvarado Tenorio, Carlos R. Cabrera, Juan C. Noveron

Year:

2025

Type:

Scientific Journal

Station:

Forest Products Laboratory

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.3390/catal15080719

Source:

Catalysts

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Abstract

The oxygen evolution reaction (OER) plays a central role as an anode in electrocatalytic processes such as energy conversion and storage and the generation of molecular oxygen from the electrolysis of water. Currently, precious metal oxides such as IrO₂ and RuO₂ are recognized as reference OER electrocatalysts with reasonably high activity; however, their widespread use in practical devices has been severely hindered by their high cost and scarcity. It is essential to design alternative OER electrocatalysts made of low-cost and abundant earth elements with significant activity and robustness. We report four new nanocellulose-derived Fe–zeolite nanocomposites, namely Fe/Zeolite@CCNC (1), Fe/Zeolite@CCNF (2), Fe/Zeolite/CNT@CCNC (3), and Fe/Zeolite/CNT@CCNF (4). Two different types of nanocellulose were investigated: nanocellulose nanofibrils and nanocellulose nanocrystals. Characterization with TEM, SEM-EDS, PXRD, and XPS is reported. The nanocomposites exhibited electrocatalytic activity for OER that varies based on the origin of biocarbon and the composition content. The effect of adding carbon nanotubes to the nanocomposites was studied, and an improvement in OER catalysis was observed. The electrochemical double-layer capacitance and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy of the nanocomposites are reported. The nanocomposite 3 exhibited the highest performance, with an onset potential value of 1.654 V and an overpotential of 551 mV, which exceeds the activity of RuO₂ for OER catalysis at 10 mA/cm² in the glassy carbon electrode. A 24 h chronoamperometry study revealed that the catalyst is active for ~2 h under continuous operating conditions. BET surface analysis showed that the crystalline nanocellulose-derived composite exhibited 301.47 m²/g, and the fibril nanocellulose-derived composite exhibited 120.39 m²/g, indicating that the increased nanoporosity of the former contributes to the increase in OER catalysis.

Keywords

oxygen evolution reaction, iron, zeolite, carbon nanotube, nanocellulose

Citation

Hernandez-Ortega, Javier; Ahmed, Chamak; Molina, Andre; Sabo, Ronald C.; Sánchez Cadena, Lorena E. Sanchez; Alvarado Tenorio, Bonifacio Alvarado; Cabrera, Carlos R.; Noveron, Juan C. 2025. High-Performance Catalytic Oxygen Evolution with Nanocellulose-Derived Biocarbon and Fe/Zeolite/Carbon Nanotubes. Catalysts. 15(8): 719. 16 p. https://doi.org/10.3390/catal15080719.