One-step solid phase synthesis of a highly efficient and robust cobalt pentlandite electrocatalyst for the oxygen evolution reaction

Mohammad Al-Mamun; Yun Wang; Porun Liu; Yu Lin Zhong; Huajie Yin; Xintai Su; Haimin Zhang; Huagui Yang; Dan Wang; Zhiyong Tang; Huijun Zhao

doi:10.1039/C6TA07962H

One-step solid phase synthesis of a highly efficient and robust cobalt pentlandite electrocatalyst for the oxygen evolution reaction†

Mohammad Al-Mamun,

^a Yun Wang,

*^a Porun Liu,^a Yu Lin Zhong,

^a Huajie Yin,^a Xintai Su,

^ab Haimin Zhang,^c Huagui Yang,^a Dan Wang,^a Zhiyong Tang^a and Huijun Zhao*^ac

Author affiliations

* Corresponding authors

^a Centre for Clean Environment and Energy, Griffith University, Gold Coast Campus, QLD 4222, Australia
E-mail: h.zhao@griffith.edu.au, yun.wang@griffith.edu.au
Fax: +61 7 5552 8067
Tel: +61 1 5552 8261

^b Ministry Key Laboratory of Oil and Gas Fine Chemicals, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xinjiang University, Urumqi 830046, P. R. China

^c Centre for Environmental and Energy Nanomaterials, Institute of Solid State Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei 230031, P. R. China

Abstract

Cobalt pentlandite (Co₉S₈) has recently emerged as an alternative non-noble metal based electrocatalyst for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER). Co₉S₈ is known for its intrinsic structural and electronic properties favorable for electrocatalytic applications, but the synthesis of stoichiometrically optimal Co₉S₈ electrocatalysts remains challenging. Herein, a facile one-step solid phase calcination approach is presented in which Co₉S₈ nanoparticles (NPs) were concurrently synthesised on carbon nanosheets (CNSs). The reaction mechanism for this synthesis was systematically investigated using TG/DSC-MS analysis. Relative to other cobalt chalcogenide electrocatalysts, the as-prepared thermally stable nanocomposite (Co₉S₈/CNS) has better electrocatalytic performance for the OER in alkaline electrolytes, exhibiting a smaller overpotential of 294 mV at a current density of 10 mA cm⁻² with a Tafel slope of 50.7 mV dec⁻¹. Furthermore, a minimum overpotential of 267 mV with a Tafel slope of 48.2 mV dec⁻¹ could be achieved using highly conducting multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) as a conducting filler in the nanocomposites.

This article is part of the themed collection: 2016 Journal of Materials Chemistry A HOT Papers

Journal of Materials Chemistry A

One-step solid phase synthesis of a highly efficient and robust cobalt pentlandite electrocatalyst for the oxygen evolution reaction†

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One-step solid phase synthesis of a highly efficient and robust cobalt pentlandite electrocatalyst for the oxygen evolution reaction

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