Preparation of Fe-Doped Ba0.7Pr0.3CoO3−δ Perovskite Oxide for Electrocatalytic Hydrogen Evolution

Developing efficient and stable electrocatalysts for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) is critical for advancing clean and sustainable energy technologies. Herein, a Fe-doped perovskite oxide Ba_0.7Pr_0.3Co_0.8Fe_0.2O_3-δ (BPCF_0.2) was successfully synthesized via the sol-gel method. By regulating the stoichiometric ratio of precursors and calcination temperature, a stable single-phase perovskite structure was achieved. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analysis indicated that Fe incorporation increased the proportion of high-valent Co species and lattice oxygen content, which respectively reduced the charge transfer resistance of BPCF_0.2, thereby significantly enhancing catalytic performance. Electrochemical measurements revealed that BPCF_0.2 exhibited remarkable HER activity in 1.0 M KOH, achieving an overpotential of 172 mV at a current density of 10 mA cm^-2, with no significant decay during 200 h of continuous HER testing at 100 mA cm^-2. These results demonstrate that the Fe doping strategy can effectively optimize the electronic structure, providing valuable insights for the development of perovskite-based HER catalysts.