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Preparation of Cobalt‐Based Electrodes by Physical Vapor Deposition on Various Nonconductive Substrates for Electrocatalytic Water Oxidation
Author(s) -
Wu Yizhen,
Wang Le,
Chen Mingxing,
Jin Zhaoxia,
Zhang Wei,
Cao Rui
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
chemsuschem
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.412
H-Index - 157
eISSN - 1864-564X
pISSN - 1864-5631
DOI - 10.1002/cssc.201701576
Subject(s) - materials science , overpotential , electrode , electrochemistry , polyethylene terephthalate , cyclic voltammetry , chemical engineering , cobalt , polyimide , chemical vapor deposition , physical vapor deposition , deposition (geology) , thin film , nanotechnology , composite material , chemistry , layer (electronics) , metallurgy , paleontology , sediment , engineering , biology
Artificial photosynthesis requires efficient anodic electrode materials for water oxidation. Cobalt metal thin films are prepared through facile physical vapor deposition (PVD) on various nonconductive substrates, including regular and quartz glass, mica sheet, polyimide, and polyethylene terephthalate (PET). Subsequent surface electrochemical modification by cyclic voltammetry (CV) renders these films active for electrocatalytic water oxidation, reaching a current density of 10 mA cm −2 at a low overpotential of 330 mV in 1.0 m KOH solution. These electrodes are robust with unchanged activity throughout prolonged chronopotentiometry measurements. This work is thus significant to show that the combination of PVD and CV is very valuable and convenient to fabricate active electrodes on various nonconductive substrates, particularly with flexible polyimide and PET substrates. This efficient, safe and convenient method can potentially be expanded to many other electrochemical applications.