Design and development of La_0.5Sr_1.5MnO₄ coated defect rich TiO_x as an efficient electrocatalyst for direct production of methane (CH₄) via electrochemical H₂O/CO₂ co splitting

The co-splitting of water (H₂O) and carbon dioxide (CO₂) into hydrocarbons as a fuel is one of the major challenges in the energy and environmental applications. To overcome the challenge, the scientific research community paid great attention on the design and development of novel electrocatalysts. Herein, a perovskite type La_0.5Sr_1.5MnO₄ coated defect-rich TiO_x electrocatalyst was developed using the facile chemical co-precipitation, electrochemical anodization, and cathodization methods. The crystal structure, morphology, and elemental composition were determined by XRD, SEM, TEM, and XPS techniques, respectively. Furthermore, the electrochemical studies were carried out to investigate the performance of La_0.5Sr_1.5MnO₄ perovskite-coated defect-rich TiO_x in 1 M KOH using the linear sweep voltammetry, chronoamperometry, and impedance techniques. The electrocatalyst demonstrated the onset potentials of 1.4 V and −1.7 V for water splitting and CO₂ splitting, respectively, and also showed the stability for 5 hrs. The perovskite-based transition metal oxide electrocatalyst exhibit a good response for water splitting and CO₂ splitting (co-splitting) at room temperature.