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Silica‐Free Synthesis of Mesoporous Co 3 O 4 /CoO x P y as a Highly Active Oxygen Evolution Reaction Catalyst
Author(s) -
Sun Tian,
Liu Piao,
Yang Daihui,
Wang Qiyou,
Duan Junfei,
Ma Chao,
Gao Yang,
Zhang Shiguo
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
chemnanomat
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.947
H-Index - 32
ISSN - 2199-692X
DOI - 10.1002/cnma.201900436
Subject(s) - tafel equation , overpotential , mesoporous material , catalysis , oxygen evolution , electrochemistry , materials science , chemical engineering , mesoporous silica , water splitting , inorganic chemistry , chemistry , electrode , organic chemistry , photocatalysis , engineering
Highly active and stable catalysts towards electrochemical oxygen evolution reaction are crucial for the efficient water splitting and sustainable hydrogen generation. Here we report a novel mesoporous Co 3 O 4 with the surface decoration of mixed CoO x P y species towards efficient OER catalysis. The material is synthesized from a simple carbon template derived from p‐phenylenediamine bisulfate followed by low temperature phosphorization. Unlike traditional methods, silica intermediates are not involved during synthesis, improving the overall safety and efficiency. The as‐prepared mesoporous Co 3 O 4 /CoO x P y catalyst shows excellent catalytic activity and stability towards oxygen evolution reaction in 1 M KOH. The overpotential is 295 mV at 10 mA cm −2 , superior to that of commercial IrO 2 /C catalyst. A small Tafel slope of 70 mV dec −1 and high stability are also observed. The excellent electrochemical performance is attributed to the mesoporous structure, strong electronic interaction, and synergistic effect of the mesoporous Co 3 O 4 and CoO x P y phases. Other heterogeneous catalysts with similar structures and compositions may also be fabricated following the same design principle.