Se-doped cobalt oxide nanoparticle as highly-efficient electrocatalyst for oxygen evolution reaction

Electrolysis of water has been one of the most promising approaches for renewable energy resources while the efficient oxygen evolution reaction (OER) remains challenging. Herein, a series of different ratio of Se doped Co3O4 nanoparticles XSe-Co3O4 are prepared by hydrothermal method and applied as OER electrocatalysts. Se2xe003; is doped into the Co3O4 crystal lattice by substituting of O2xe003; and a large number of oxygen vacancies are generated, which provides more available activity sites for OER. Se doping increases the surface ratio of Co2 thorn / Co3 thorn and accelerates the electron transport that favors OER activity promotion. The optimized doping ratio of 6%Se-Co3O4 presents low overpotential of 281 mV at 10 mA cmxe003;2, as well as a low Tafel slope of 70 mV decxe003;1 in 1 M KOH solution, which has great advantages compared to the recently reported Co3O4-based OER electrocatalysts. This work provides new ideas for the development of efficient Co3O4-based OER electrocatalysts. (c) 2021 Hydrogen Energy Publications LLC. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Automated summary

In this study, a series of Se doped Co3O4 nanoparticles were prepared by hydrothermal method and applied as efficient electrocatalysts for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER). The optimized 6%Se-Co3O4 catalyst showed lower overpotential and Tafel slope in 1 M KOH solution compared to other Co3O4-based catalysts, providing new ideas for the development of efficient Co3O4-based OER electrocatalysts.