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Increasing the Formation of Active Sites on Highly Crystalline Co Branched Nanoparticles for Improved Oxygen Evolution Reaction Electrocatalysis
Author(s) -
Myekhlai Munkhshur,
Benedetti Tania M.,
Gloag Lucy,
Gonçales Vinicius R.,
Cheong Soshan,
Chen HsiangSheng,
Gooding J. Justin,
Tilley Richard D.
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
chemcatchem
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.497
H-Index - 106
eISSN - 1867-3899
pISSN - 1867-3880
DOI - 10.1002/cctc.202000224
Subject(s) - electrocatalyst , oxygen evolution , nanoparticle , electrochemistry , chemical engineering , materials science , metal , oxide , catalysis , chemistry , inorganic chemistry , electrode , nanotechnology , organic chemistry , metallurgy , engineering
The electrocatalysis of the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) at the surface of oxidized metal electrocatalysts is highly dependent on the structure and composition of the surface oxide. Here, Au core‐ Co branched nanoparticles were synthesized using a cubic‐core hexagonal‐branch growth approach in a slow reductive solution synthesis, resulting in highly crystalline metallic hcp Co branches. Electrochemical surface oxidation of the Co branched nanoparticles resulted in formation of Co(OH) 2 that enable the formation of a higher number of active sites under OER conditions compared to Co 3 O 4 . Differently from polycrystalline spherical Au−Co core‐shell nanoparticles, the oxidized structure on the Co branched nanoparticle surface is retained with electrochemical cycling, resulting in improved OER activity and stability.