Evaluation of anion exchange membrane water electrolysis performance using synthesised NiMoO4/Ni cathode via solution combustion synthesis in applied thermal reduction approach

The development of sustainable electrocatalysts is essential for the advancement of anion exchange membrane water electrolysis (AEMWE) technologies. Nickel molybdate-based catalysts may improve the efficiency of hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) during alkaline water electrolysis . This study investigated the influence of thermal reduction temperature on the synthesised NiMoO 4 -based catalyst via solution combustion synthesis (SCS) and its performance in HER and single-cell AEMWE. The optimal conditions for stable and active HER electrocatalysts were determined by investigating synthesised NiMoO 4 catalysts at 450 °C, 550 °C and 750 °C. A NiMoO 4 catalyst was characterised at different reduction temperatures through X-ray diffractometer (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), energy-dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) and Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) analysis. Results revealed that the NiMoO 4 -450/Ni cathode became the highest performance 1 A/cm 2 current density at 2.2 V and the NiMoO 4 -550/Ni cathode became the most stable performance among the catalysts, attaining. The average current density of NiMoO 4 -550/Ni fluctuated by only 22% from 24 h to 100 h. • The interface Ni–Mo alloy-oxide structure is developed via thermal reduction. • NiMoO 4 with various thermal reduction temperatures is applied as HER catalyst. • Optimum thermal reduction temperature of NiMoO 4 with excellent AEMWE performance.