Issue 13, 2014

Self-template construction of hollow Co3O4 microspheres from porous ultrathin nanosheets and efficient noble metal-free water oxidation catalysts

Abstract

Developing noble metal-free water oxidation catalysts is essential for many energy conversion/storage processes (e.g., water splitting). Herein, we report the facile synthesis of hollow Co3O4 microspheres composed of porous, ultrathin (<5 nm), single-crystal-like nanosheets via a novel “self-template” route. The successful preparation of these hollow Co3O4 nanomaterials includes three main steps: (1) the synthesis of solid cobalt alkoxide microspheres, (2) their subsequent self-template conversion into hollow cobalt hydroxide microspheres composed of ultrathin nanosheets, and finally (3) thermal treatment of hollow cobalt hydroxide microspheres into the hollow Co3O4 material. The as-obtained hollow Co3O4 nanomaterial possesses a high BET surface area (∼180 m2 g−1), and can serve as an active and stable water oxidation catalyst under both electrochemical and photochemical reaction conditions, owing to its unique structural features. In the electrochemical water oxidation, this catalyst affords a current density of 10 mA cm−2 (a value related to practical relevance) at an overpotential of ∼0.40 V. Moreover, with the assistance of a sensitizer [Ru(bpy)3]2+ (bpy = 2,2′-bipyridine), this nanomaterial can catalyze water oxidation reactions under visible light irradiation with an O2 evolution rate of ∼12 218 μmol g−1 h−1. Our results suggest that delicate nanostructuring can offer unique advantages for developing efficient water oxidation catalysts.

Graphical abstract: Self-template construction of hollow Co3O4 microspheres from porous ultrathin nanosheets and efficient noble metal-free water oxidation catalysts

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
01 Jan 2014
Accepted
01 Mar 2014
First published
05 Mar 2014

Nanoscale, 2014,6, 7255-7262

Self-template construction of hollow Co3O4 microspheres from porous ultrathin nanosheets and efficient noble metal-free water oxidation catalysts

J. Zhao, Y. Zou, X. Zou, T. Bai, Y. Liu, R. Gao, D. Wang and G. Li, Nanoscale, 2014, 6, 7255 DOI: 10.1039/C4NR00002A

To request permission to reproduce material from this article, please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

If you are an author contributing to an RSC publication, you do not need to request permission provided correct acknowledgement is given.

If you are the author of this article, you do not need to request permission to reproduce figures and diagrams provided correct acknowledgement is given. If you want to reproduce the whole article in a third-party publication (excluding your thesis/dissertation for which permission is not required) please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

Read more about how to correctly acknowledge RSC content.

Social activity

Spotlight

Advertisements