Heterostructural CoFe2O4/CoO nanoparticles-embedded carbon nanotubes network for boosted overall water-splitting performance. (1st February 2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Srinivas, Katam; Chen, Yuanfu; Su, Zhe; Yu, Bo; Karpuraranjith, Marimuthu; Ma, Fei; Wang, Xinqiang; Zhang, Wanli; Yang, Dongxu
• Is Part Of: Electrochimica acta. Volume 404(2022)
• Publication Date: 2022-02-01
• Subjects: Metal-organic frameworks -- Cobalt ferrite nanoparticles -- CoFe2O4/CoO heterostructure -- Bifunctional electrocatalysts -- Overall water-splitting; Electrochemistry -- Periodicals; Electrochemistry, Industrial -- Periodicals; 541.37
• DOI: 10.1016/j.electacta.2021.139745
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0013-4686

Abstract

Highlights: CoFe2 O4 /CoO heterostructure-embedded CNT network is fabricated via solvothermal reaction and annealing. The hybrid delevers excellent performance towards OER, HER and overall water-splitting. Exceptional performance is due to the unique nanoarchitecture and synergistic effect. Abstract: Development of inexpensive and highly efficient bifunctional electrocatalysts for overall water-splitting is of great significance to produce sustainable hydrogen fuel from a renewable water source. Particularly, the sluggish oxygen evolution reaction kinetics limit the overall efficiency of water-splitting catalysis. Although, precious metal-based catalysts can reduce the energy barrier and drive the reaction at low overpotentials, their scarcity and high cost limit the commercialization. In order to address the aforementioned issues, we present a metal-organic framework (MOF)-derived CoFe2 O4 /CoO heterostructure-embedded carbon nanotubes (CNT)-network with exceptional water-splitting performance. Due to the collective advantages related to MOF-derived porous carbon with abundant oxygen-vacancies, CoFe2 O4 /CoO heterostructure-embedded CNT-networks with largely exposed catalytic sites, and their synergistic interactions, the hybrid catalyst (CoFe/C-650) delivers superior performance for oxygen evolution reaction (OER), hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), and overall water-splitting: it requires a low overpotential of 246 mV (for OER) and 164 mV (for HER) at 10 mA/cm 2 ( ƞ 10 ) with low Tafel slopes of 45.27 and 86.38 mV/dec, respectively. Interestingly, it requires an overpotential of 1.614 V ( ƞ 10 ) for full water-splitting catalysis, which is comparable to that of benchmark Pt/C (Cathode) and RuO2 (Anode) combination. This work presents a novel approach towards nanostructure design and facile production of transition metal-based oxide heterostructures to achieve the superior bifunctional activity. Graphical abstract: Image, graphical abstract