Electronic State Modulation of Rhodium Nanoparticles by Coupling with g-C 3 N 4 Support for Efficient Overall Water Splitting in Alkaline Medium
Journal
ACS Applied Nano Materials
Journal Volume
9
Journal Issue
25
Start Page
11690
End Page
11702
ISSN
2574-0970
Date Issued
2026-06-26
Author(s)
Abstract
The design and synthesis of an efficient, durable, and bifunctional electrocatalyst are essential for effective H2 production through water splitting. Noble-metal-based nanomaterials have drawn much attention for their high efficiency in electrocatalytic water splitting. However, their effective utilization and durability for long-term operations remain significant challenges. In this context, noble-metal Rh nanoparticles are anchored on the g-C3N4 surface (Rh/g-C3N4) as efficient electrocatalysts for water splitting. The high surface area of g-C3N4 provides effective dispersion of Rh nanoparticles for the optimum utilization of metal nanoparticles. Moreover, the significant orbital overlapping between the Rh 4d and C/N 2p orbitals provides strong electronic coupling at the Rh/g-C3N4 interface, which not only facilitates the robust anchoring of Rh nanoparticles but also enhances the electrocatalytic activity. The as-synthesized Rh/g-C3N4 shows improved activity for HER, requiring an overpotential of 38 mV to generate a current density of 10 mA cm–2. The cell designed by using Rh/g-C3N4 exhibits high activity for overall water splitting in 1 M KOH and requires a cell potential of 1.64 V, with a durability of 108 h. The Bader charge analysis shows significant charge accumulation on the Rh nanoparticles through interfacial charge transfer from the g-C3N4 support. The electron transfer modifies the electronic state of Rh and optimizes the binding energy of hydrogen for improved electrocatalytic performance.
Subjects
bifunctional electrocatalyst
DFT studies.
electronic coupling
H2production
Rh/g-C3N4
water splitting
Publisher
American Chemical Society (ACS)
Type
journal article