@article {48979, title = {Electrodeposited Co-Mn-Sn multicomponent alloy as an efficient electrocatalyst for hydrogen evolution reaction}, journal = {International Journal of Hydrogen Energy}, volume = {49}, year = {2024}, month = {JAN }, pages = {658-667}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Despite having exciting material characteristics, the potential of multi-component alloys (MCAs) as electrocatalysts has not been fully realized. In this work, efficient binary and ternary MCA electrocatalysts containing inexpensive metals like Co, Mn and Sn have been prepared via the electrodeposition process. When tested for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) in an alkaline medium, ternary Co-Mn-Sn alloy displayed enhanced activity with the lowest overpotential of 136 mV, a Tafel slope of 111 mV dec 1 and a very low charge transfer resistance, making it superior to the binary alloys (Co-Mn and Co-Sn), or the single metal catalysts (Co, Mn and Sn). The ternary alloy also displayed high electro-chemical and structural stability, making it a viable electrocatalyst for the hydrogen economy.(c) 2023 Hydrogen Energy Publications LLC. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

}, keywords = {Clean energy, electrocatalysis, Electrodeposition, hydrogen evolution reaction, Multi-component alloy, Non-platinum group metals}, issn = {0360-3199}, doi = {10.1016/j.ijhydene.2023.07.064}, author = {Chandran, M. Athira and Karumuthil, Subash Cherumannil and Singh, Ashutosh K. and Prasad, Bhagavatula L. V.} } @article {49611, title = {Design and synthesis of PtPdNiCoMn high-entropy alloy electrocatalyst for enhanced alkaline hydrogen evolution reaction: a theoretically supported predictive design approach}, journal = {Advanced Functional Materials}, volume = {35}, year = {2025}, month = {APR}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

Electrocatalytic hydrogen generation requires a cutting-edge, multifunctional electrocatalyst with abundant active sites to drive multielectron transfer reactions. High entropy alloys (HEA) are complex five or more-element alloy systems with high configurational entropy which makes them unique materials for next-generation electrocatalysts. Here, in this work, based on new screening guidelines for catalyst selections that combine density-functional theory calculated Gibbs formation-enthalpy with bond length and electronegativity variance, a novel HEA electrocatalyst consisting of five elements, namely, Pt, Pd, Ni, Co, and Mn is designed. By simple room temperature electrodeposition, the designed catalyst is prepared and its hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) is explored and validated through experimental and theoretical approaches. The HEA demonstrated a superior HER activity with an overpotential of 22.6 mV at -10 mA cm-2 which outperforms Pt/C commercial catalyst. No evident degradation of the material is detected even after 100 hours of continuous operation under high current density. Moreover, the HEA has shown exceptional performance in harsh electrolyte conditions such as in simulated seawater and actual seawater. Remarkably, the density-functional theory calculated small Gibbs formation-enthalpy (approximate to 0 eV) compared to Pt/C places the new HEA near the apex of Trasatti{\textquoteright}s model of Volcano plot, which is also suggestive of superior HER activity.

}, keywords = {DFT, electrocatalysts, Electronic Structure, HER, high-entropy alloys}, issn = {1616-301X}, doi = {10.1002/adfm.202418644}, author = {Chandran, M. Athira and Dutta, Pritha and Singh, Prashant and Singh, Ashutosh K. and Prasad, Bhagavatula L. V.} } @article {49903, title = {Platinum-free electrocatalysts based on electrodeposited Co-Mn-Ni alloys for efficient electrocatalytic alkaline water splitting}, journal = {ACS Applied Energy Materials}, volume = {8}, year = {2025}, month = {AUG }, pages = {11633-11642}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

The development of a Pt-free electrocatalyst for efficient and stable water splitting is crucial for the commercialization of green hydrogen production. A low-cost electrocatalyst with good hydrogen and oxygen evolution activities (HER and OER, respectively) displaying long durability is the first step in this direction, and if the catalyst can be synthesized via an easy, convenient, and scalable procedure, that would be an added advantage. Multicomponent alloys, with their tunable compositions and abundant active sites, present a promising solution in this direction. Herein, a cost-effective CoMnNi (CMN) alloy is synthesized via electrodeposition and with optimized composition by tuning the electrolyte concentration and deposition potential to enhance electrocatalytic performance. The resulting single-phase alloy exhibits a high electrochemical surface area with an average particle size of similar to 4 nm, demonstrating excellent hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER) activities in 1 M KOH, with overpotentials of 121 mV at -10 mA cm-2 and 285 mV at 20 mA cm-2, respectively. Moreover, the catalyst exhibits remarkable stability, sustaining 100 h of operation at 100 mA cm-2. The CMN alloy also performs efficiently under harsh conditions, including 6 M KOH and alkaline seawater, in both symmetric and asymmetric cell configurations. This work highlights the potential of multicomponent alloys as durable, high-performance electrocatalysts for scalable water splitting, paving the way for sustainable hydrogen production.

}, keywords = {alkaline seawater, electrocatalysis, Electrodeposition, hydrogen evolution reaction(HER), multicomponentalloy, oxygen evolution reaction (OER), stability, watersplitting}, issn = {2574-0962}, doi = {10.1021/acsaem.5c01775}, author = {Chandran, M. Athira and Dutta, Pritha and Singh, Ashutosh K. and Prasad, Bhagavatula L. V.} } @article {49443, title = {Synthesis framework for designing PtPdCoNiMn high-entropy alloy: a stable electrocatalyst for enhanced alkaline hydrogen evolution reaction}, journal = {Small}, volume = {21}, year = {2025}, month = {JAN}, type = {Article}, abstract = {

High entropy alloys (HEAs) are an emerging class of advanced materials characterized by their multifunctionality and potential to replace commercial catalysts in electrocatalytic water splitting. The synergy among the various alloyed elements in HEAs makes them particularly promising for applications in electrocatalysis. However, preparation of HEA via bottom-up approaches by avoiding the formation of mono, di, and tri metallic alloys in the nanoscale is challenging. This aspect is addressed, in this study by exploring the logical selection of solvents, reducing agents, and capping agents, along with their relative fractions, in the solvothermal synthesis of the HEA comprising platinum-palladium-cobalt-nickel-manganese (PtPdCoNiMn). It is established that the reducing capabilities of both the solvent and reducing agent are crucial for the reduction of each metal to form a single-phase HEA. The synthesized HEA (20 wt.\%)/functionalized carbon (FC) demonstrates excellent performance as an HER catalyst, exhibiting a low overpotential of 48.7 mV at -10 mA cm-2 in an alkaline electrolyte. This performance is characterized by high reaction kinetics and stability at elevated current densities. Furthermore, the catalyst shows impressive performance in both simulated and actual seawater. This development reduces the reliance on platinum while enhancing the long-term durability and catalytic efficiency of the electrocatalyst.

}, keywords = {electrocatalysts, HER, high entropy alloys, solvothermal synthesis}, issn = {1613-6810}, doi = {10.1002/smll.202408317}, author = {Chandran, M. Athira and Sahoo, Sudeshna and Singh, Ashutosh K. and Prasad, Bhagavatula L. V.} }