Interface engineering for enhancing electrocatalytic oxygen evolution reaction of CoS/CeO₂ heterostructures

Abstract

To realize renewable energy conversion, it is important to develop low-cost and high-efficiency electrocatalyst for oxygen evolution reaction. In this communication, a novel bijunction CoS/CeO₂ electrocatalyst grown on carbon cloth is prepared by the interface engineering. The interface engineering of CoS and CeO₂ facilitates a rapid charge transfer from CeO₂ to CoS. Such an electrocatalyst exhibits outstanding electrocatalytic activity with a low overpotential of 311 mV at 10 mA∙cm⁻² and low Tafel slope of 76.2 mV∙dec^–1, and is superior to that of CoS (372 mV) and CeO₂ (530 mV) counterparts. And it has long-term durability under alkaline media.

Graphical abstract

Keywords

interface engineering / CoS/CeO₂ / electrodeposition / electrocatalyst / oxygen evolution reaction

References

[1] Jiao Y, Zheng Y, Jaroniec M, Qiao S Z. Design of electrocatalysts for oxygen- and hydrogen-involving energy conversion reactions. Chemical Society Reviews, 2015, 44(8): 2060–2086

[2] Hao J, Yang W, Peng Z, Zhang C, Huang Z, Shi W. A nitrogen doping method for CoS₂ electrocatalysts with enhanced water oxidation performance. ACS Catalysis, 2017, 7(6): 4214–4220

[3] Shi Q, Zhu C, Du D, Lin Y. Robust noble metal-based electrocatalysts for oxygen evolution reaction. Chemical Society Reviews, 2019, 48(12): 3181–3192

[4] Wang F, Xia L, Li X, Yang W, Zhao Y, Mao J. Nano-ferric oxide embedded in graphene oxide: high-performance electrocatalyst for nitrogen reduction at ambient condition. Energy & Environmental Materials, 2021, 4(1): 88–94

[5] Liu C, Zhou W, Zhang J, Chen Z, Liu S, Zhang Y, Yang J, Xu L, Hu W, Chen Y, Deng Y. Air-assisted transient synthesis of metastable nickel oxide boosting alkaline fuel oxidation reaction. Advanced Energy Materials, 2020, 10(46): 2070187

[6] Zhao D, Zhuang Z, Cao X, Zhang C, Peng Q, Chen C, Li Y. Atomic site electrocatalysts for water splitting, oxygen reduction and selective oxidation. Chemical Society Reviews, 2020, 49(7): 2215–2264

[7] Ou H, Wang D, Li Y. How to select effective electrocatalysts: nano or single atom? Nano Select, 2020, 2(3): 492–511

[8] Kenney M J, Huang J E, Zhu Y, Meng Y, Xu M, Zhu G, Hung W H, Kuang Y, Lin M, Sun X, et al. An electrodeposition approach to metal/metal oxide heterostructures for active hydrogen evolution catalysts in near-neutral electrolytes. Nano Research, 2019, 12(6): 1431–1435

[9] Wang H F, Chen L, Pang H, Kaskel S, Xu Q. MOF-derived electrocatalysts for oxygen reduction oxygen evolution and hydrogen evolution reactions. Chemical Society Reviews, 2020, 49(5): 1414–1448

[10] Li X, Yang X, Xue H, Pang H, Xu Q. Metal-organic frameworks as a platform for clean energy applications. EnergyChem, 2020, 2(2): 100027

[11] Li D, Xu H Q, Jiao L, Jiang H L. Metal-organic frameworks for catalysis: state of the art challenges and opportunities. EnergyChem, 2019, 1(1): 100005

[12] Zheng S. Zheng S, Li Q, Xue H, Pang H, Xu Q. A highly alkaline-stable metal oxide@metal-organic framework composite for high-performance electrochemical energy storage. National Science Review, 2020, 7(2): 305–314

[13] Liu P, Yin H, Fu H, Zu M, Yang H, Zhao H. Activation strategies of water-splitting electrocatalysts. Journal of Materials Chemistry. A, Materials for Energy and Sustainability, 2020, 8(20): 10096–10129

[14] Nong H, Falling L, Bergmann A, Klingenhof M, Tran H, Spöri C, Mom R, Timoshenko J, Zichittella G, Knop-Gericke A, et al. Key role of chemistry versus bias in electrocatalytic oxygen evolution. Nature, 2020, 587(7834): 408–413

[15] Zhang J, Zhang H, Ren T, Yuan Z, Bandosz T. FeNi doped porous carbon as an efficient catalyst for oxygen evolution reaction. Frontiers of Chemical Science and Engineering, 2021, 15(2): 279–287

[16] Sheng T, Tian N, Zhou Z, Lin W, Sun S. Designing Pt-based electrocatalysts with high surface energy. ACS Energy Letters, 2017, 2(8): 1892–1900

[17] Xiong Y, Dong J, Huang Z, Xin P, Chen W, Wang Y, Li Z, Jin Z, Xing W, Zhuang Z, et al. Single-atom Rh/N-doped carbon electrocatalyst for formic acid oxidation. Nature Nanotechnology, 2020, 15(5): 390–397

[18] Zhuang Z, Wang Y, Xu C, Liu S, Chen C, Peng Q, Zhuang Z, Xiao H, Pan Y, Lu S, et al. Three-dimensional open nano-netcage electrocatalysts for efficient pH-universal overall water splitting. Nature Communications, 2019, 10(1): 4875

[19] Pei J, Mao J, Liang X, Chen C, Peng Q, Wang D, Li Y. Ir-Cu nanoframes: one-pot synthesis and efficient electrocatalysts for oxygen evolution reaction. Chemical Communications, 2016, 52(19): 3793–3796

[20] Wu Z, Lu X, Zang S, Lou X. Non-noble-metal-based electrocatalysts toward the oxygen evolution reaction. Advanced Functional Materials, 2020, 30(15): 1910274

[21] 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

[22] Sun H, Yan Z, Liu F, Xu W, Cheng F, Chen J. Self-supported transition-metal-based electrocatalysts for hydrogen and oxygen evolution. Advanced Materials, 2020, 32(3): e1806326

[23] Li Y, Yin J, An L, Lu M, Sun K, Zhao Y, Gao D, Cheng F, Xi P. FeS₂/CoS₂ interface nanosheets as efficient bifunctional electrocatalyst for overall water splitting. Small, 2018, 14(26): e1801070

[24] Wang J, Cui W, Liu Q, Xing Z, Asiri A M, Sun X. Recent progress in cobalt-based heterogeneous catalysts for electrochemical water splitting. Advanced Materials, 2016, 28(2): 215–230

[25] Cui B, Hu Z, Liu C, Liu S, Chen F, Hu S, Zhang J, Zhou W, Deng Y, Qin Z, et al. Heterogeneous lamellar-edged Fe-Ni(OH)₂/Ni₃S₂ nanoarray for efficient and stable seawater oxidation. Nano Research, 2021, 14(4): 1149–1155

[26] Zhu Y, Guo C, Zheng Y, Qiao S Z. Surface and interface engineering of noble-metal-free electrocatalysts for efficient energy conversion processes. Accounts of Chemical Research, 2017, 50(4): 915–923

[27] Huang W, Li X, Yang X, Zhang H, Liu P, Ma Y, Lu X. CeO₂-embedded mesoporous CoS/MoS₂ as highly efficient and robust oxygen evolution electrocatalyst. Chemical Engineering Journal, 2021, 420: 127595

[28] Long X, Lin H, Zhou D, An Y, Yang S. Enhancing full water-splitting performance of transition metal bifunctional electrocatalysts in alkaline solutions by tailoring CeO₂-transition metal oxides-Ni nanointerfaces. ACS Energy Letters, 2018, 3(2): 290–296

[29] Li M, Pan X, Jiang M, Zhang Y, Tang Y, Fu G. Interface engineering of oxygen-vacancy-rich CoP/CeO₂ heterostructure boosts oxygen evolution reaction. Chemical Engineering Journal, 2020, 395: 125160

[30] Feng J, Ye S, Xu H, Tong Y, Li G. Design and synthesis of FeOOH/CeO₂ heterolayered nanotube electrocatalysts for the oxygen evolution reaction. Advanced Materials, 2016, 28(23): 4698–4703

[31] Xie H, Geng Q, Liu X, Xu X, Wang F, Mao L M, Mao J. Solvent-assisted synthesis of dendritic cerium hexacyanocobaltate and derived porous dendritic Co₃O₄/CeO₂ as supercapacitor electrode materials. CrystEngComm, 2021, 23(8): 1704–1708

[32] Hao J, Luo W, Yang W, Li L, Shi W. Origin of the enhanced oxygen evolution reaction activity and stability of a nitrogen and cerium co-doped CoS₂ electrocatalyst. Journal of Materials Chemistry. A, Materials for Energy and Sustainability, 2020, 8(43): 22694–22702

[33] Liu B, Qu S, Kou Y, Liu Z, Chen X, Wu Y, Han X, Deng Y, Hu W, Zhong C. In situ electrodeposition of cobalt sulfide nanosheet arrays on carbon cloth as a highly efficient bifunctional electrocatalyst for oxygen evolution and reduction reactions. ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces, 2018, 10(36): 30433–30440

[34] Xie H, Geng Q, Li X, Wang T, Luo Y, Alshehri A, Alzahrani K, Li B, Wang Z, Mao J. Ceria-reduced graphene oxide nanocomposite as an efficient electrocatalyst towards artificial N₂ conversion to NH₃ under ambient conditions. Chemical Communications, 2019, 55(72): 10717–10720

[35] Qiu B, Wang C, Zhang N, Cai L, Xiong Y, Chai Y. CeO₂-induced interfacial Co²⁺ octahedral sites and oxygen vacancies for water oxidation. ACS Catalysis, 2019, 9(7): 6484–6490

[36] Sung M, Lee G, Kim D. CeO₂/Co(OH)₂ hybrid electrocatalysts for efficient hydrogen and oxygen evolution reaction. Journal of Alloys and Compounds, 2019, 800: 450–455

[37] Xie H, Mao L, Mao J. Structural evolution of Ce[Fe(CN)₆] and derived porous Fe-CeO₂ with high performance for supercapacitor. Chemical Engineering Journal, 2021, 421: 127826

[38] Xie H, Wang H, Geng Q, Xing Z, Wang W, Chen J, Ji L, Chang L, Wang Z, Mao J. Oxygen vacancies of Cr-doped CeO₂ nanorods that efficiently enhance the performance of electrocatalytic N₂ fixation to NH₃ under ambient conditions. Inorganic Chemistry, 2019, 58(9): 5423–5427

[39] Liu P, Li X, Yang S, Zu M, Liu P, Zhang B, Zheng L, Zhao H, Yang H. Ni₂P(O)/Fe₂P(O) interface can boost oxygen evolution electrocatalysis. ACS Energy Letters, 2017, 2(10): 2257–2263

[40] Sun L, Zhou L, Yang C, Yuan Y. CeO₂ nanoparticle-decorated reduced graphene oxide as an efficient bifunctional electrocatalyst for oxygen reduction and evolution reactions. International Journal of Hydrogen Energy, 2017, 42(22): 15140–15148

[41] Hu J, Li S, Chu J, Niu S, Wang J, Du Y, Li Z, Han X, Xu P. Understanding the phase-induced electrocatalytic oxygen evolution reaction activity on FeOOH nanostructures. ACS Catalysis, 2019, 9(12): 10705–10711

[42] Li T, Li S, Liu Q, Tian Y, Zhang Y, Fu G, Tang Y. Hollow Co₃O₄/CeO₂ heterostructures in situ embedded in N-doped carbon nanofibers enable outstanding oxygen evolution. ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering, 2019, 7(21): 17950–17957

[43] Xue Z, Li X, Liu Q, Cai M, Liu K, Liu M, Ke Z, Liu X, Li G. Interfacial electronic structure modulation of NiTe nanoarrays with NiS nanodots facilitates electrocatalytic oxygen evolution. Advanced Materials, 2019, 31(21): e1900430

[44] Zhang J, Yu L, Chen Y, Lu X, Gao S, Lou X. Designed formation of double-shelled Ni-Fe layered-double-hydroxide nanocages for efficient oxygen evolution reaction. Advanced Materials, 2020, 32(16): e1906432

[45] Zhang Y, Ouyang B, Xu J, Jia G, Chen S, Rawat R, Fan H. Rapid synthesis of cobalt nitride Nanowires: highly efficient and low-cost catalysts for oxygen evolution. Angewandte Chemie International Edition, 2016, 55(30): 8670–8674

[46] Tang S, Wang X, Zhang Y, Courte M, Fan H, Fichou D. Combining Co₃S₄ and Ni:Co₃S₄ nanowires as efficient catalysts for overall water splitting: an experimental and theoretical study. Nanoscale, 2019, 11(5): 2202–2210

[47] Zhang J, Wang T, Pohl D, Rellinghaus B, Dong R, Liu S, Zhuang X, Feng X. Interface engineering of MoS₂/Ni₃S₂ heterostructures for highly enhanced electrochemical overall-water-splitting activity. Angewandte Chemie International Edition, 2016, 55(23): 6702–6707

[48] He X, Yi X, Yin F, Chen B, Li G, Yin H. Less active CeO₂ regulating bifunctional oxygen electrocatalytic activity of Co₃O₄@N-doped carbon for Zn-air batteries. Journal of Materials Chemistry. A, Materials for Energy and Sustainability, 2019, 7(12): 6753–6765

[49] Dou Y, He C, Zhang L, Yin H, Al-Mamun M, Ma J, Zhao H. Approaching the activity limit of CoSe₂ for oxygen evolution via Fe doping and Co vacancy. Nature Communications, 2020, 11(1): 1664

[50] Zheng Y, Gao M, Gao Q, Li H, Xu J, Wu Z, Yu S. An efficient CeO₂/CoSe₂ nanobelt composite for electrochemical water oxidation. Small, 2015, 11(2): 182–188

[51] Wu J, Ren Z, Du S, Kong L, Liu B, Xi W, Zhu J, Fu H. A highly active oxygen evolution electrocatalyst: ultrathin CoNi double hydroxide/CoO nanosheets synthesized via interface-directed assembly. Nano Research, 2016, 9(3): 713–725

[52] Yoon H, Song H, Ju B, Kim D. Cobalt phosphide nanoarrays with crystalline-amorphous hybrid phase for hydrogen production in universal-pH. Nano Research, 2020, 13(9): 2469–2477

[53] Zhang X, Yang Z, Lu Z, Wang W. Bifunctional CoN_x embedded graphene electrocatalysts for OER and ORR: a theoretical evaluation. Carbon, 2018, 130: 112–119

[54] Xu Y, Li B, Zheng S, Wu P, Zhan J, Xue H, Xu Q, Pang H. Ultrathin two-dimensional cobalt–organic framework nanosheets for high-performance electrocatalytic oxygen evolution. Journal of Materials Chemistry. A, Materials for Energy and Sustainability, 2018, 6(44): 22070–22076

[55] Guo M, Xu K, Qu Y, Zeng F, Yuan C. Porous Co₃O₄/CoS₂ nanosheet-assembled hierarchical microspheres as superior electrocatalyst towards oxygen evolution reaction. Electrochimica Acta, 2018, 268: 10–19

[56] Li Y, Mao Z, Wang Q, Li D, Wang R, He B, Gong Y, Wang H. Hollow nanosheet array of phosphorus-anion-decorated cobalt disulfide as an efficient electrocatalyst for overall water splitting. Chemical Engineering Journal, 2020, 390: 124556

[57] Zhu Y, Song L, Song N, Li M, Wang C, Lu X. Bifunctional and efficient CoS₂-C@MoS₂ core-shell nanofiber electrocatalyst for water splitting. ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering, 2019, 7(3): 2899–2905

[58] Wu X, Zhang T, Wei J, Feng P, Yan X, Tang Y. Facile synthesis of Co and Ce dual-doped Ni₃S₂ nanosheets on Ni foam for enhanced oxygen evolution reaction. Nano Research, 2020, 13(8): 2130–2135

[59] Yang Z, Liang X. Self-magnetic-attracted Ni_xFe_(1−x)@Ni_xFe_(1−x)O nanoparticles on nickel foam as highly active and stable electrocatalysts towards alkaline oxygen evolution reaction. Nano Research, 2020, 13(2): 461–466

[60] Cui B, Hu Z, Liu C, Liu S, Chen F, Hu S, Zhang J, Zhou W, Deng Y, Qin Z, Wu Z, Chen Y, Cui L, Hu W. Heterogeneous lamellar-edged Fe-Ni(OH)₂/Ni₃S₂ nanoarray for efficient and stable seawater oxidation. Nano Research, 2020, 14(4): 1149–1155

[61] Wu Y, Wang H, Ji S, Pollet B, Wang X, Wang R. Engineered porous Ni₂P-nanoparticle/Ni₂P-nanosheet arrays via the Kirkendall effect and Ostwald ripening towards efficient overall water splitting. Nano Research, 2020, 13(8): 2098–2105

[62] Wang F, Mao J. Extra Li-Ion storage and rapid Li-ion transfer of a graphene quantum dot tiling hollow porous SiO₂ anode. ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces, 2021, 13(11): 13191–13199

[63] Xie H, Wang J, Wang W. Constructing porous carbon nanomaterials using redox-induced low molecular weight hydrogels and their application as supercapacitors. ChemistrySelect, 2017, 2(29): 9330–9335

Electronic Supplementary Material

Supplementary material is available in the online version of this article at http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11705-021-2062-x and is accessible for authorized users.

RIGHTS & PERMISSIONS

2021 Higher Education Press