Noble-metal-free cobalt hydroxide nanosheets for efficient electrocatalytic oxidation

Abstract

Cobalt hydroxide has been emerging as a promising catalyst for the electrocatalytic oxidation reactions, including the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) and glucose oxidation reaction (GOR). Herein, we prepared cobalt hydroxide nanoparticles (CoHP) and cobalt hydroxide nanosheets (CoHS) on nickel foam. In the electrocatalytic OER, CoHS shows an overpotential of 306 mV at a current density of 10 mA·cm^–2. This is enhanced as compared with that of CoHP (367 mV at 10 mA·cm^–2). In addition, CoHS also exhibits an improved performance in the electrocatalytic GOR. The improved electrocatalytic performance of CoHS could be due to the higher ability of the two-dimensional nanosheets on CoHS in electron transfer. These results are useful for fabricating efficient catalysts for electrocatalytic oxidation reactions.

Graphical abstract

Keywords

electrocatalytic oxidation / cobalt hydroxide / nanosheet / water / glucose

References

[1] Zhang Y, Xiao J, Lv Q, Wang S. Self–supported transition metal phosphide based electrodes as high–efficient water splitting cathodes. Frontiers of Chemical Science and Engineering, 2018, 12(3): 494–508

[2] Liu T, Xie L, Yang J, Kong R, Du G, Asiri A M, Sun X, Chen L. Self–standing CoP nanosheets array: A three–dimensional bifunctional catalyst electrode for overall water splitting in both neutral and alkaline media. ChemElectroChem, 2017, 4(8): 1840–1845

[3] Xiong X, Ji Y, Xie M, You C, Yang L, Liu Z, Asiri A M, Sun X. MnO₂–CoP₃ nanowires array: An efficient electrocatalyst for alkaline oxygen evolution reaction with enhanced activity. Electrochemistry Communications, 2018, 86: 161–165

[4] Li P, Zhao R, Chen H, Wang H, Wei P, Huang H, Liu Q, Li T, Shi X, Zhang Y, Liu M, Sun X. Recent advances in the development of water oxidation electrocatalysts at mild pH. Small, 2019, 15(13): 1805103

[5] Tang C, Zhang R, Lu W, He L, Jiang X, Asiri A M, Sun X. Fe–doped CoP nanoarray: A monolithic multifunctional catalyst for highly efficient hydrogen generation. Advanced Materials, 2017, 29(2): 1602441

[6] Kang B K, Im S Y, Lee J, Kwag S H, Kwon S B, Tiruneh S N, Kim M J, Kim J H, Yang W S, Lim B, Yoon D H. In situ formation of MOF derived mesoporous Co₃N/amorphous N–doped carbon nanocubes as an efficient electrocatalytic oxygen evolution reaction. Nano Research, 2019, 12(7): 1605–1611

[7] Wang X, Xiao H, Li A, Li Z, Liu S, Zhang Q, Gong Y, Zheng L, Zhu Y, Chen C, Constructing NiCo/Fe₃O₄ heteroparticles within MOF-74 for efficient oxygen evolution reactions. Journal of the American Chemical Society, 2018, 140(45): 15336–15341

[8] Deng W, Dai R, You C, Hu P, Sun X, Xiong X, Huang K, Huo F. In situ formation of a 3D amorphous cobalt-borate nanoarray: An efficient non–noble metal catalytic electrode for non–enzyme glucose detection. ChemistrySelect, 2018, 3(38): 10580–10584

[9] Yang L, Feng S, Xu G, Wei B, Zhang L. Electrospun MOF-based FeCo nanoparticles embedded in nitrogen-doped mesoporous carbon nanofibers as an efficient bifunctional catalyst for oxygen reduction and oxygen evolution reactions in zinc-air batteries. ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering, 2019, 7(5): 5462–5475

[10] Chen G, Zhang J, Wang F, Wang L, Liao Z, Zschech E, Mullen K, Feng X. Cobalt-based metal-organic framework nanoarrays as bifunctional oxygen electrocatalysts for rechargeable Zn-air batteries. Chemistry (Weinheim an der Bergstrasse, Germany), 2018, 24(69): 18413–18418

[11] Huang W, Cao Y, Chen Y, Peng J, Lai X, Tu J. Fast synthesis of porous NiCo₂O₄ hollow nanospheres for a high-sensitivity non-enzymatic glucose sensor. Applied Surface Science, 2017, 396: 804–811

[12] Liardet L, Hu X. Amorphous cobalt vanadium oxide as a highly active electrocatalyst for oxygen evolution. ACS Catalysis, 2018, 8(1): 644–650

[13] Feng S, Liu C, Chai Z, Li Q, Xu D. Cobalt–based hydroxide nanoparticles@N-doping carbonic frameworks core-shell structures as highly efficient bifunctional electrocatalysts for oxygen evolution and oxygen reduction reactions. Nano Research, 2018, 11(3): 1482–1489

[14] Zhang X, Li J, Yang Y, Zhang S, Zhu H, Zhu X, Xing H, Zhang Y, Huang B, Guo S, Wang E. Co₃O₄/Fe_0.33Co_0.66P interface nanowire for enhancing water oxidation catalysis at high current density. Advanced Materials, 2018, 30(45): 1803551

[15] Yeo B S, Bell A T. Enhanced activity of gold–supported cobalt oxide for the electrochemical evolution of oxygen. Journal of the American Chemical Society, 2011, 133(14): 5587–5593

[16] Menezes P W, Indra A, González–Flores D, Sahraie N R, Zaharieva I, Schwarze M, Strasser P, Dau H, Driess M. High-performance oxygen redox catalysis with multifunctional cobalt oxide nanochains: Morphology-dependent activity. ACS Catalysis, 2015, 5(4): 2017–2027

[17] Guo P, Wu J, Li X B, Luo J, Lau W M, Liu H, Sun X L, Liu L M. A highly stable bifunctional catalyst based on 3D Co(OH)₂@NCNTs@NF towards overall water-splitting. Nano Energy, 2018, 47: 96–104

[18] Ye Z, Qin C, Ma G, Peng X, Li T, Li D, Jin Z. Cobalt-iron oxide nanoarrays supported on carbon fiber paper with high stability for electrochemical oxygen evolution at large current densities. ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces, 2018, 10(46): 39809–39818

[19] Kim B, Park I, Yoon G, Kim J S, Kim H, Kang K. Atomistic investigation of doping effects on electrocatalytic properties of cobalt oxides for water oxidation. Advancement of Science, 2018, 5(12): 1801632

[20] Zhang R, Zhang Y C, Pan L, Shen G Q, Mahmood N, Ma Y H, Shi Y, Jia W, Wang L, Zhang X, Xu W, Zou J J. Engineering cobalt defects in cobalt oxide for highly efficient electrocatalytic oxygen evolution. ACS Catalysis, 2018, 8(5): 3803–3811

[21] Tong M, Wang L, Yu P, Liu X, Fu H. 3D Network nanostructured NiCoP nanosheets supported on N-doped carbon coated Ni foam as a highly active bifunctional electrocatalyst for hydrogen and oxygen evolution reactions. Frontiers of Chemical Science and Engineering, 2018, 12(3): 417–424

[22] Ji X, Zhang R, Shi X, Asiri A M, Zheng B, Sun X. Fabrication of hierarchical CoP nanosheet@microwire arrays via space-confined phosphidation toward high-efficiency water oxidation electrocatalysis under alkaline conditions. Nanoscale, 2018, 10(17): 7941–7945

[23] Ding D, Shen K, Chen X, Chen H, Chen J, Fan T, Wu R, Li Y. Multi-level architecture optimization of MOF-templated Co-based nanoparticles embedded in hollow N-doped carbon polyhedra for efficient OER and ORR. ACS Catalysis, 2018, 8(9): 7879–7888

[24] Li M, Bai L, Wu S, Wen X, Guan J. Co/CoO_x nanoparticles embedded on carbon for efficient catalysis of oxygen evolution and oxygen reduction reactions. ChemSusChem, 2018, 11(10): 1722–1727

[25] Xie M, Yang L, Ji Y, Wang Z, Ren X, Liu Z, Asiri A M, Xiong X, Sun X. An amorphous Co-carbonate-hydroxide nanowire array for efficient and durable oxygen evolution reaction in carbonate electrolytes. Nanoscale, 2017, 9(43): 16612–16615

[26] Gu W, Hu L, Zhu X, Shang C, Li J, Wang E. Rapid synthesis of Co₃O₄ nanosheet arrays on Ni foam by in situ electrochemical oxidization of air-plasma engraved Co(OH)₂ for efficient oxygen evolution. Chemical Communications, 2018, 54(90): 12698–12701

[27] Zhang L, Liang Q, Yang P, Huang Y, Chen W, Deng X, Yang H, Yan J, Liu Y. Flower-like Co₃O₄ microstrips embedded in Co foam as a binder-free electrocatalyst for oxygen evolution reaction. International Journal of Hydrogen Energy, 2019, 44(44): 24209–24217

[28] Li Y, Zhang L, Peng K. Synthesis of urchin-like Co₃O₄ spheres for application in oxygen evolution reaction. Nanotechnology, 2018, 29(48): 485403

[29] Miao X, Zhou S, Wu L, Zhao J, Shi L. Spin-state transition enhanced oxygen evolving activity in misfit-layered cobalt oxide nanosheets. ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering, 2018, 6(9): 12337–12342

[30] Li Y, Li F M, Meng X Y, Wu X R, Li S N, Chen Y. Direct chemical synthesis of ultrathin holey iron doped cobalt oxide nanosheets on nickel foam for oxygen evolution reaction. Nano Energy, 2018, 54: 238–250

[31] Chen L, Zhang Y, Wang H, Wang Y, Li D, Duan C. Cobalt layered double hydroxides derived CoP/Co₂P hybrids for electrocatalytic overall water splitting. Nanoscale, 2018, 10(45): 21019–21024

[32] Kou Y, Liu J, Li Y, Qu S, Ma C, Song Z, Han X, Deng Y, Hu W, Zhong C. Electrochemical oxidation of chlorine-doped Co(OH)₂ nanosheet arrays on carbon cloth as a bifunctional oxygen electrode. ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces, 2018, 10(1): 796–805

[33] Luo Y, Li X, Cai X, Zou X, Kang F, Cheng H M, Liu B. Two-dimensional MoS₂ confined Co(OH)₂ electrocatalysts for hydrogen evolution in alkaline electrolytes. ACS Nano, 2018, 12(5): 4565–4573

[34] Xu Y, Xie L, Li D, Yang R, Jiang D, Chen M. Engineering Ni(OH)₂ nanosheet on CoMoO₄ nanoplate array as efficient electrocatalyst for oxygen evolution reaction. ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering, 2018, 6(12): 16086–16095

[35] Chen H, Sun P, Qiu M, Jiang M, Zhao J, Han D, Niu L, Cui G. Co-P decorated nanoporous copper framework for high performance flexible non-enzymatic glucose sensors. Journal of Electroanalytical Chemistry, 2019, 841: 119–128

[36] Tao Y, Liu Q, Chang Q, Duan J, Tao Z, Guan H, Chen G, Mao Y, Xie J, Dong C.In situ fabrication of Co(OH)₂ by hydrothermal treating Co foil in MOH (M= H, Li, Na, K) for non-enzymatic glucose detection. Journal of Alloys and Compounds, 2019, 781: 1033–1039

[37] Xie F, Cao X, Qu F, Asiri A M, Sun X. Cobalt nitride nanowire array as an efficient electrochemical sensor for glucose and H₂O₂ detection. Sensors and Actuators. B, Chemical, 2018, 255: 1254–1261

Acknowledgements

This work is supported by the financial support from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 11761141006, 81822024 and 21605102) and the National Key Research and Development Program of China (Grant No. 2017YFC1200904).

Electronic Supplementary Material

Supplementary material is available in the online version of this article at https://doi.org/10.1007/s11705-020-1920-2 and is accessible for authorized users.

RIGHTS & PERMISSIONS

2020 Higher Education Press and Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature