Vanadium-oxide-based materials exist with various vanadium oxidation states having rich chemistry and ability to form layered structures. These properties make them suitable for different applications, including energy conversion and storage. Magnesium vanadium oxide materials obtained using simple preparation route were studied as potential cathodes for rechargeable aqueous magnesium ion batteries. Structural characterization of the synthesized materials was performed using XRD and vibrational spectroscopy techniques (FTIR and Raman spectroscopy). Electrochemical behavior of the materials, observed by cyclic voltammetry, was further explained by BVS calculations. Sluggish Mg²⁺ ion kinetics in MgV₂O₆ was shown as a result of poor electronic and ionic wiring. Complex redox behavior of the studied materials is dependent on phase composition and metal ion inserted/deinserted into/from the material. Among the studied magnesium vanadium oxides, the multiphase oxide systems exhibited better Mg²⁺ insertion/deinsertion performances than the single-phase ones. Carbon addition was found to be an effective dual strategy for enhancing the charge storage behavior of MgV₂O₆.

Carbon-based electrocatalysts decorated with Pt and Ni nanoparticles were introduced herein to increase the efficiency of the water splitting process and thus reduce the price of the produced green hydrogen. The materials were prepared by innovative direct carbonization of ionic liquids containing the corresponding metal, thereby eliminating the need for additional solutions and templates. The structural integrity of the materials was validated through X-ray diffraction analysis and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy. The electrochemical performance of these materials in catalyzing hydrogen (HER) and oxygen (OER) evolution reactions was evaluated using voltammetry and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, uncovering distinct behaviors and highlighting the role of ionic liquid in tailoring materials’ properties and performance. Specifically, the presence of Ni was observed to enhance the catalytic performance towards the HERs due to the interaction of Ni nanoparticles and a higher amount of sp²-hybridized carbon present. In contrast, incorporating Pt into the carbon matrix was found to augment the catalytic activity for OERs with a Tafel slope of 129 mV dec⁻¹ and a current density of 10 mA cm⁻² reached at a potential of 1.67 V. Moreover, chronoamperometric measurements evidenced materials’ steady performance under both HER and OER conditions. These findings of good activity and stability showed that the introduced approach of synthesis of carbon electrocatalysts decorated with heteroatoms by direct carbonization of ionic liquids holds great promise for the synthesis of efficient and affordable electrocatalysts for green hydrogen production.