Enhanced electrocatalytic oxygen evolution by silver–nickel–copper alloy nanoparticles supported on g-C3N4: A synergistic approach for improved catalytic performance

Trimetallic alloy nanoparticles have become promising materials in electrocatalysis , owing to their electronic interactions leading to tunable catalytic properties, increased catalytic activity, and enhanced stability. In this work, AgNiCu alloy nanoparticles for oxygen evolution reaction (OER) were successfully prepared on graphitic carbon nitride (g-C 3 N 4 ) by the photodeposition method. Their presence was confirmed by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), which showed the formation and uniform distribution of AgNiCu alloy nanoparticles on the g-C 3 N 4 surface. Compared with its bimetallic and monometallic counterparts, the AgNiCu/g-C 3 N 4 electrocatalyst showed superior OER activity. Its excellent catalytic efficiency was further demonstrated by electrochemical measurements, which showed a dramatically reduced overpotential of 260 mV at a current density of 10 mA cm⁻² and a Tafel slope of 64 mV/dec. Long-term stability tests revealed 24 h of steady-state catalytic performance, with no observed degradation. The optimized electronic structure, enhanced charge transfer efficiency, and increased number of active sites of the trimetallic alloy nanoparticles contribute positively to the enhanced electrocatalytic performance of AgNiCu/g-C 3 N 4 . The results of this study demonstrate the promising potential of trimetallic alloy catalysts to advance the development of renewable energy systems and enable sustainable oxygen evolution. • AgNiCu alloy nanoparticles prepared on g-C 3 N 4 for efficient oxygen evolution. • Superior OER activity of AgNiCu/g-C 3 N 4 compared to bimetallic, monometallic catalysts. • Electrochemical tests show reduced overpotential of 260 mV at 10 mA cm⁻² for OER. • AgNiCu/g-C 3 N 4 catalyst exhibited 100-hour stability with no performance degradation.