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Activating cobalt(II) oxide nanorods for efficient electrocatalysis by strain engineering

Author

Listed:
  • Tao Ling

    (Institute of New-Energy, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Tianjin University
    The University of Adelaide)

  • Dong-Yang Yan

    (Institute of New-Energy, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Tianjin University)

  • Hui Wang

    (School of Materials Science and Engineering, Beihang University)

  • Yan Jiao

    (The University of Adelaide)

  • Zhenpeng Hu

    (Nankai University)

  • Yao Zheng

    (The University of Adelaide)

  • Lirong Zheng

    (Institute of High Energy Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences)

  • Jing Mao

    (Institute of New-Energy, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Tianjin University)

  • Hui Liu

    (Institute of New-Energy, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Tianjin University)

  • Xi-Wen Du

    (Institute of New-Energy, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Tianjin University)

  • Mietek Jaroniec

    (Kent State University, Kent)

  • Shi-Zhang Qiao

    (Institute of New-Energy, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Tianjin University
    The University of Adelaide)

Abstract

Designing high-performance and cost-effective electrocatalysts toward oxygen evolution and hydrogen evolution reactions in water–alkali electrolyzers is pivotal for large-scale and sustainable hydrogen production. Earth-abundant transition metal oxide-based catalysts are particularly active for oxygen evolution reaction; however, they are generally considered inactive toward hydrogen evolution reaction. Here, we show that strain engineering of the outermost surface of cobalt(II) oxide nanorods can turn them into efficient electrocatalysts for the hydrogen evolution reaction. They are competitive with the best electrocatalysts for this reaction in alkaline media so far. Our theoretical and experimental results demonstrate that the tensile strain strongly couples the atomic, electronic structure properties and the activity of the cobalt(II) oxide surface, which results in the creation of a large quantity of oxygen vacancies that facilitate water dissociation, and fine tunes the electronic structure to weaken hydrogen adsorption toward the optimum region.

Suggested Citation

  • Tao Ling & Dong-Yang Yan & Hui Wang & Yan Jiao & Zhenpeng Hu & Yao Zheng & Lirong Zheng & Jing Mao & Hui Liu & Xi-Wen Du & Mietek Jaroniec & Shi-Zhang Qiao, 2017. "Activating cobalt(II) oxide nanorods for efficient electrocatalysis by strain engineering," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 8(1), pages 1-7, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:8:y:2017:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-017-01872-y
    DOI: 10.1038/s41467-017-01872-y
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    Cited by:

    1. Zengyao Wang & Jiyi Chen & Erhong Song & Ning Wang & Juncai Dong & Xiang Zhang & Pulickel M. Ajayan & Wei Yao & Chenfeng Wang & Jianjun Liu & Jianfeng Shen & Mingxin Ye, 2021. "Manipulation on active electronic states of metastable phase β-NiMoO4 for large current density hydrogen evolution," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 12(1), pages 1-10, December.
    2. Kun Du & Lifu Zhang & Jieqiong Shan & Jiaxin Guo & Jing Mao & Chueh-Cheng Yang & Chia-Hsin Wang & Zhenpeng Hu & Tao Ling, 2022. "Interface engineering breaks both stability and activity limits of RuO2 for sustainable water oxidation," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-9, December.

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