Executive Summary : | The increasing global energy demand and depletion of fossil fuels have led to a search for alternative energy sources, such as green hydrogen production through electrochemical water splitting. This method reduces the use of fossil fuels and allows for the production of high-end chemicals. Single-atom catalysts (SACs) with uniformly distributed active sites are crucial for high-performance water electrolysis. The project aims to synthesize novel MOF precursors/templates for SACs, exploring noble metals, transition metals, and conductive supports to improve electrocatalytic performance. Advanced characterization techniques and X-ray diffraction studies will be employed to understand the structure-activity relationship of SACs, making large-scale water splitting feasible.
The collaboration between Indian and German labs aims to synthesize noble metal substituted metal-organic frameworks and convert them into SACs on N-doped carbon/graphene. The synthesis will be conducted in India, followed by electrochemical characterization and investigation of the catalysts' electrocatalytic activity. Advanced characterization techniques will be employed in Germany, while in situ Raman and operando XAS will be used to understand the O-O bond formation mechanism and detect intermediates during electrochemical water splitting. |