Core-Shell MoS2@CoO Electrocatalyst for Water Splitting in Neural and Alkaline Solutions

Core-shell nanostructured materials with synergetic effects have gained increasing attention for their widespread applications in electrochemical water-splitting field. However, for most electrocatalysts, the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) and hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) can only work efficiently in neutral solution or alkaline solution, which hinders their further applications using untreated natural waters with a wide pH range, such as seawater (pH similar to 7.5-8.5). In this paper, we report the synthesis of core-shell MoS2@CoO bifunctional electrocatalysts. The MoS2@CoO-coated carbon cloth electrode demonstrates excellent electrocatalytic properties for both OER and HER with 325 and 173 mV at a current density of 10 mA cm(-2) and Tafel slopes of 129.9 and 83.0 mV dec(-1) in 1 M KOH solutions, respectively. Additionally, the electrode can also work efficiently in neutral solutions (1 M PBS, pH = 7), showing good OER and HER activities for potential electrocatalytic water splitting applications in untreated natural waters.