Energy-efficient hydrogen generation using multiferroic TbCrO₃ nanoparticles via electrocatalysis coupled with hydrazine oxidation and photocatalysis

Multiferroic TbCrO3 nanoparticles were synthesized using solvothermal approach for photocatalytic and electrocatalytic hydrogen generation. As -synthesized TbCrO3 nanoparticles depicted high surface area of 131 m2/g and room temperature non -ideal ferroelectricity. Sophisticated techniques such as X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy establish chemical purity of TbCrO3 nanoparticles. TbCrO3 NPs showed high photocatalytic H2 evolution of 10 mmol h-1 g-1 which was due to high specific surface area, and ferroelectric charge separation phenomena. In electrocatalytic seawater splitting where OER is replaced by hydrazine oxidation, TbCrO3 nanoparticles showed improved overpotential (eta 10) in HzOR-0.20 V than OER-0.22 V vs. RHE. Furthermore, hydrogen evolution reaction and in simulated water was analyzed that showed generation of significant catalytic current density. The as -synthesized multiferroic TbCrO3 nanoparticles showed multifunctional applications in both photocatalytic and electrocatalytic activity. The high electrocatalytic and photocatalytic activity is attributed to inherent ferroelectric behavior of TbCrO3 nanoparticles as confirmed by ferroelectric studies.