Multifunctional Ti₃C₂ decorated perovskite La_{1- x}Sr_xCoO₃ nanorods for efficient energy conversion

The exploitation of functional materials is paramount for the development of renewable energy to alleviate the storage of freshwater and energy. Herein, a series of perovskites, La_1-xSr_xCoO₃ (LSC), were prepared by a facile hydrothermal and calcination method, in which the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) activity was facilitated with the composition of x = 0.1. Moreover, the two-dimensional (2D) Ti₃C₂ MXene dopant was introduced to boost the functions of electrocatalytic oxygen evolution capability and solar thermal evaporation performance. Strong interfacial interaction and prominent charge-transfer between the La_1-xSr_xCoO₃ and Ti₃C₂ MXene accelerate the redox process of perovskite La_1-xSr_xCoO₃. The obtained La_0.9Sr_0.1CoO₃/Ti₃C₂ MXene (LSM) composite acquired an overpotential of 330 mV at 10 mA cm^-2 in 1 M KOH electrolyte while maintaining remarkable durability. The lower Tafel slope of 83.9 mV per decade for the OER was also achieved, comparable to that of the commercial RuO₂ catalyst. In addition, the LSM exhibited a high solar-evaporation conversion efficiency of 96.8% under 1 sun irradiation, which demonstrated the multi-functionality of this composite. Hence, by presenting high performance in energy conversion of perovskite-derived materials, this work demonstrates their great potential in practical applications for solar driven desalination and highly active electrocatalysis technologies.