Oxygen electroreduction on CoSe₂ nanoparticles prepared via hydrothermal method in acidic medium

Abstract

CoSe₂ nanoparticles were synthesized via a facile hydrothermal method, and characterized by means of X-ray diffraction(XRD), scanning electron microscopy(SEM) and transmission electron microscopy(TEM). The synthesized CoSe₂ was composed of crystalline orthorhombic phase and displayed a morphology of short and thin nanobelts. The results of the catalyst experiment demonstrate that the CoSe₂ nanocrystals show high catalytic activity and methanol tolerance in oxygen reduction reaction(ORR) with an open circuit potential(OCP) of 0.80 V(vs. NHE) in 0.5 mol/L H₂SO₄ at 25 °C. The transfer process of about 3.7 electrons per oxygen molecule was determined during the reduction process and the transfer coefficient and Tafel slope were 0.50 and 118 mV, respectively, in the potential region of 0.64-0.75 V(vs. NHE). The high catalytic activity might be related to the high crystallization of the CoSe₂ powder and the modification of selenium on the cobalt element.

Keywords

Oxygen reduction / Cobalt selenide / Non-noble metal catalyst / Polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell

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