Highly surface electron-deficient Co9S8 nanoarrays for enhanced oxygen evolution

Haoxuan Zhang; Jingyu Wang; Qilin Cheng; Petr Saha; Hao Jiang

Green Energy & Environment (Oct 2020)

Highly surface electron-deficient Co9S8 nanoarrays for enhanced oxygen evolution

Haoxuan Zhang,
Jingyu Wang,
Qilin Cheng,
Petr Saha,
Hao Jiang

Affiliations

Haoxuan Zhang: Key Laboratory for Ultrafine Materials of Ministry of Education, Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Hierarchical Nanomaterials, School of Materials Science and Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, 200237, China; Centre of Polymer Systems, University Institute, Tomas Bata University in Zlin, Trida T. Bati 5678, Zlin, 760 01, Czech Republic
Jingyu Wang: Key Laboratory for Ultrafine Materials of Ministry of Education, Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Hierarchical Nanomaterials, School of Materials Science and Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, 200237, China; Centre of Polymer Systems, University Institute, Tomas Bata University in Zlin, Trida T. Bati 5678, Zlin, 760 01, Czech Republic
Qilin Cheng: Key Laboratory for Ultrafine Materials of Ministry of Education, Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Hierarchical Nanomaterials, School of Materials Science and Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, 200237, China; Centre of Polymer Systems, University Institute, Tomas Bata University in Zlin, Trida T. Bati 5678, Zlin, 760 01, Czech Republic; Corresponding authors.
Petr Saha: Key Laboratory for Ultrafine Materials of Ministry of Education, Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Hierarchical Nanomaterials, School of Materials Science and Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, 200237, China; Centre of Polymer Systems, University Institute, Tomas Bata University in Zlin, Trida T. Bati 5678, Zlin, 760 01, Czech Republic
Hao Jiang: Key Laboratory for Ultrafine Materials of Ministry of Education, Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Hierarchical Nanomaterials, School of Materials Science and Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai, 200237, China; Centre of Polymer Systems, University Institute, Tomas Bata University in Zlin, Trida T. Bati 5678, Zlin, 760 01, Czech Republic; Corresponding authors.

Journal volume & issue: Vol. 5, no. 4
pp. 492 – 498

Abstract

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Tailoring valence electron delocalization of transition metal center is of importance to achieve highly-active electrocatalysts for oxygen evolution reaction (OER). Herein, we demonstrate a “poor sulfur” route to synthesize surface electron-deficient Co9S8 nanoarrays, where the binding energy (BE) of Co metal center is considerably higher than all reported Co9S8-based electrocatalysts. The resulting Co9S8 electrocatalysts only require the overpotentials (η) of 265 and 326 mV at 10 and 100 mA cm−2 with a low Tafel slope of 56 mV dec−1 and a 60 h-lasting stability in alkaline media. The OER kinetics are greatly expedited with a low reaction activation energy of 27.9 kJ mol−1 as well as abundant OOH∗ key intermediates (24%), thus exhibiting excellent catalytic performances. The surface electron-deficient engineering gives an available strategy to improve the catalytic activity of other advanced non-noble electrocatalysts.

Published in Green Energy & Environment

ISSN: 2468-0257 (Online)
Publisher: KeAi Communications Co., Ltd.
Country of publisher: China
LCC subjects: Technology: Mechanical engineering and machinery: Renewable energy sources; Science: Biology (General): Ecology
Website: https://www.keaipublishing.com/en/journals/green-energy-and-environment/

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