Sustainable energy solutions: 3D printed PLA-NiMo@Ag for green hydrogen production

This study investigates integration of green-synthesized nanocatalysts with 3D-printable material and use the resulting structures as electrocatalysts (NiMo@Ag-PLA electrode) in a photovoltaic-supported alkaline electrolysis system. Honeycomb-structured cathodes were created by fused deposition modeling (FDM), green-synthesized NiMo@Ag nanoparticles embedded to improve electrochemical activity. The characterization and surface monitoring were performed using UV-VIS, FTIR, Zeta potential analysis, AFM, XRD, FE-SEM-EDX, TEM and contact angle measurements, that confirmed the formation of core-shell structure with uniform dispersion in PLA matrix. Electrochemical tests revealed that the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) performance was enhanced by lowering the onset potential to-255 mV vs. Ag/AgCl, increasing the current density by nearly ninefold at-2.0 V vs. Ag/AgCl compared to PLA, and reducing the charge transfer resistance by approximately twenty-fivefold relative to PLA. These findings show the potentiality of combining green-synthesized nano-materials with 3D printing and solar energy to develop efficient systems for sustainable hydrogen production.