Highly Effective Freshwater and Seawater Electrolysis Enabled by Atomic Rh‐Modulated Co‐CoO Lateral Heterostructures. Issue 50 (8th October 2021)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Tran, Phan Khanh Linh; Tran, Duy Thanh; Malhotra, Deepanshu; Prabhakaran, Sampath; Kim, Do Hwan; Kim, Nam Hoon; Lee, Joong Hee
• Is Part Of: Small. Volume 17:Issue 50(2021)
• Page Start: n/a
• Page End: n/a
• Publication Date: 2021-10-08
• Subjects: atomic Rh implantation -- bifunctional electrocatalyst -- Co‐CoO lateral heterostructures -- freshwater and seawater splitting -- synergistic effects; Nanotechnology -- Periodicals; Nanoparticles -- Periodicals; Microtechnology -- Periodicals; 620.5
• DOI: 10.1002/smll.202103826
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1613-6810

Abstract

Abstract: Atomic metal‐modulated heterostructures have been evidenced as an exciting solution to develop high‐performance multifunctional electrocatalyst toward water splitting. In this research, a catalyst of continuous cobalt‐cobalt oxide (Co‐CoO) lateral heterostructures implanted with well‐dispersed rhodium (Rh) atoms and shelled over conductive porous 1D copper (Cu) nano‐supports for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER) in both freshwater and seawater under alkaline condition is proposed. It is found that synergistic effects coming from uniform Rh atoms at doping level and Co‐CoO heterostructures afford rich multi‐integrated active sites and excellent charge transfer, thereby effectively promoting both HER and OER activities. The material requires overpotentials of 107.3 and 137.7 mV for HER and 277.7 and 260 mV for OER to reach an output of 10 mA cm −1 in freshwater and mimic seawater, respectively, surpassing earlier reported catalysts. Compared to a benchmark a Pt/C//RuO2 ‐based two‐electrode electrolyzer, a device derived from the 1D‐Cu@Co‐CoO/Rh on copper foam delivers comparable cell voltages of 1.62, 1.60, and 1.70 V at 10 mA cm −2 in freshwater, mimic seawater, and natural seawater, respectively, together with robust stability. These results evidence that 1D‐Cu@Co‐CoO/Rh is a promising catalyst for green hydrogen generation via freshwater and seawater electrolysis applications. Abstract : Catalytic performances of porous continuous Co‐CoO heterostructures are modulated by well‐dispersed Rh atoms for promoting hydrogen evolution reaction and oxygen evolution reaction activities in freshwater and seawater. The special synergistic effects result in a two‐electrode electrolyzer with small cell voltage and good stability comparable to Pt/C//RuO2 system in all surveyed environments.