Single-unit-cell thick Co9S8 nanosheets from preassembled Co14 nanoclusters. Issue 2 (13th December 2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Wu, Zhennan; Zou, Haoyang; Li, Tingting; Cheng, Ziyi; Liu, Huiwen; Liu, Yi; Zhang, Hao; Yang, Bai
• Is Part Of: Chemical communications. Volume 53:Issue 2(2017)
• Page Start: 416
• Page End: 419
• Publication Date: 2016-12-13
• Subjects: Chemistry -- Periodicals; 540
• DOI: 10.1039/c6cc07443j
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1359-7345

Abstract

Abstract : Single-unit-cell thick Co9 S8 nanosheets are prepared from preassembled Co14 nanoclusters by combining the advantages of a self-assembly technique with solid-phase material sulfurization at elevated temperature. Abstract : Ultrathin two-dimensional (2D) nanomaterials composed of abundant and inexpensive 3d metal chalcogenides are competitive candidates for practical electrocatalysts for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER). However, the bottom-up synthesis of atomically thick nanosheets is difficult for materials with inherent non-layered host crystals. Here, we demonstrate the preparation of single-unit-cell thick Co9 S8 nanosheets from preassembled Co14 nanoclusters (NCs) by virtue of the flexibility of NC self-assembly in colloidal solution. Due to their free-standing properties, the NC self-assembled architectures are capable of bearing sulfurization at elevated temperatures, thus producing ultrathin Co9 S8 nanosheets. The nanosheets exhibit an OER overpotential as low as 0.27 V at 10 mA cm −2 in 0.1 M KOH, which is comparable to the performance of the best Co-based OER electrocatalysts.