Premium
Nitrogen‐Doped Cobalt Oxide Nanostructures Derived from Cobalt–Alanine Complexes for High‐Performance Oxygen Evolution Reactions
Author(s) -
Li Xinran,
Wei Jilei,
Li Qing,
Zheng Shasha,
Xu Yuxia,
Du Pan,
Chen Changyun,
Zhao Jiyang,
Xue Huaiguo,
Xu Qiang,
Pang Huan
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
advanced functional materials
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 6.069
H-Index - 322
eISSN - 1616-3028
pISSN - 1616-301X
DOI - 10.1002/adfm.201800886
Subject(s) - cobalt , materials science , cobalt oxide , calcination , catalysis , oxygen evolution , inorganic chemistry , chemical engineering , oxide , chemistry , electrode , electrochemistry , organic chemistry , engineering , metallurgy
Taking advantage of the self‐assembling function of amino acids, cobalt–alanine complexes are synthesized by straightforward process of chemical precipitation. Through a controllable calcination of the cobalt–alanine complexes, N‐doped Co 3 O 4 nanostructures (N‐Co 3 O 4 ) and N‐doped CoO composites with amorphous carbon (N‐CoO/C) are obtained. These N‐doped cobalt oxide materials with novel porous nanostructures and minimal oxygen vacancies show a high and stable activity for the oxygen evolution reaction. Moreover, the influence of calcination temperature, electrolyte concentration, and electrode substrate to the reaction are compared and analyzed. The results of experiments and density functional theory calculations demonstrate that N‐doping promotes the catalytic activity through improving electronic conductivity, increasing OH − adsorption strength, and accelerating reaction kinetics. Using a simple synthetic strategy, N‐Co 3 O 4 reserves the structural advantages of micro/nanostructured complexes, showing exciting potential as a catalyst for the oxygen evolution reaction with good stability.