In situ electrochemical synthesis of rhenium oxide-reduced graphene oxide hybrid electrodes for enhanced water splitting
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Date
2025
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Abstract
This study reports the in situ electrochemical synthesis of rhenium oxide nanoparticles on a glassy carbon (GC) electrode pre-modified with graphene oxide (GO), which is simultaneously reduced to reduced graphene oxide (rGO) during deposition. The resulting GC|rGO|ReOxNP electrodes were characterized by XPS, SEM, TEM, and EDS. Optimal HER performance was obtained with a 60 s deposition, achieving an overpotential of − 0.160 V at 10 mA cm− 2 and a Tafel slope of 52 mV⋅dec− 1. The post-HER analysis showed that the optimum electrocatalytic properties were associated with the predominant rhenium oxidation states ReVI and ReVII. A key strength of this approach lies in its simplicity and sustainability: the electrochemical method provides a direct, single-step route for simultaneously depositing rhenium oxide nanoparticles and reducing GO to rGO under mild conditions. This eliminates the need for high-temperature treatments or multistep chemical procedures commonly reported in similar studies. These results highlight the potent
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Keywords
Electrodeposition , Rhenium oxide nanoparticles, Water splitting, HER, Graphene oxide