Nanocomposite NBT-MFO for eco-friendly power generation: Self sustainable hydroelectric cell.

Room temperature water splitting due to reactive surface charges created by defects and porosity in metal oxides fabricated as Hydroelectric Cell (HEC) has translated it into electric current and voltage. Novel oxygen-deficient, nanoporous nanocomposites [(1- x) Na 0.5 Bi 0.5 TiO 3 - (x) MgFe 2 O 4 (x = 0, 0.2, 0.5, 0.8 and 1)] denoted as (1- x) NBT - (x) MFO used as multiferroic, have been prepared by solid state reaction for water splitting. NBT-MFO based hydroelectric cell has been fabricated to generate current and voltage by water splitting. Maximum offload current 8.23 mA and voltage 1 V has been recorded for 0.50NBT-0.50MFO nanocomposite based hydroelectric cell of area 2 × 2 cm2. Dissimilarity in ferroelectric-ferrite phase in nanocomposites generates strain in the perovskite phase evaluated by W–H plot analysis of X-Ray diffraction patterns. The validation of oxidation states of cations and the highest oxygen vacancies ratio of 80% has been calculated by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) peak area. The interstitial defects in nanocomposites have been analyzed by PL emission spectra. The actual charge transfer processes in HEC have been studied by circuit modeling of Nyquist plot by Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS). By virtue of utmost defects, highest nanoporosity and extremely low charge transfer impedance (1.169 Ω), nanocomposite 0.50NBT-0.50MFO delivered significant short circuit current. Furthermore, nanocomposites based HECs stand out as economical, facile and eco-friendly energy devices with no harmful by-products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]