Synthesis of cobalt vanadium nanomaterials for efficient electrocatalysis of oxygen evolution

Abstract

A low-cost and high-activity catalyst for oxygen evolution reaction (OER) is the key to the water splitting technology for hydrogen generation. Here we report the use of three solvents, DMF, ethanol and glycol, in the solvothermal synthesis of three nano-catalysts, Co₃(VO₄)₂-I, Co₃(VO₄)₂-II, and Co₃(VO₄)₂-III, respectively. Transmission electron microscope shows Co₃(VO₄)₂-I, II, and III exist as ultrafine nanosheets, ultrathin nanofilms, and ultrafine nanosheet-comprised microspheres, respectively. These Co₃(VO₄)₂ catalysts exhibit OER electrocatalysis, among which the Co₃(VO₄)₂-II shows the lowest onset overpotential of 310 mV and only requires a small overpotential of 330 mV to drive current density of 10 mA/cm². Due to their high surface free energy, the ultrathin nanofilms of Co₃(VO₄)₂-II exhibits a good immobilization effect with the high electrocatalytic activity for OER.

Graphical abstract

Keywords

Co₃(VO₄)₂ / oxygen evolution reaction / electrocatalyst / water splitting

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Acknowledgments

The authors greatly appreciate the support from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 21305090).

RIGHTS & PERMISSIONS

2018 Higher Education Press and Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature