Mixed-valent cobalt phosphate/borophene nanohybrids for efficient electrocatalytic oxygen evolution reaction.

Developing efficient, low-cost, non-precious and stable electrocatalyst is necessary for sustainable electrocatalytic water splitting. Recently, borophene has emerged as a novel two-dimensional material with exciting properties. Although several researchers have theoretically predicted its applicability towards effective electrocatalytic water splitting, studies on its practical applications are still limited.

Graphene oxide wrapped Mix-valent cobalt phosphate hollow nanotubes as oxygen evolution catalyst with low overpotential.

Development of an efficient, stable and inexpensive catalyst for oxygen evolution reaction (OER) is critical to electrochemical water splitting. In this regard, a precious-metal free electrocatalyst has been synthesized employing a hydrothermal route. The prepared graphene oxide wrapped cobalt phosphate nanotubes deposited on Ni foam electrode shows a low overpotential of 234 mV at a current density of 10 mA/cm for OER in 1(M) KOH, lower than a benchmarking electrocatalyst IrO at the same current density.