Synthesis and electrochemical performance of nickel-cobalt oxide/carbon nanocomposites for use in efficient oxygen evolution reaction

Developing active, stable and low-cost electrocatalysts for oxygen evolution reaction (OER) has drawn much attention. Herein, we found a convenient, simple method to prepare porous Ni-Co oxide/carbon nanoparticles via a simple heat treatment of Ni(NO3)(2)6H(2)O, Co(NO3)(2)6H(2)O and Tween-85, a polysorbate surfactant with a boiling point above 100 degrees C. And the obtained porous Ni-Co oxide/carbon nanocomposites possess high activity and good durability for the OER in alkaline solution. The catalyst exhibits good stability for a current density of 10mA cm(-2) for 2h and low Tafel slope of 54mV per decade for OER. The following electrochemical and physical characterizations demonstrate that the high OER activity of the hybrid catalysts arises from the synergistic effect between Ni-Co bimetallic oxide and carbon.