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Updated: Jan 22, 2026

Synthesis of Metal Nanoparticles Supported on Carbon Nanotube with Doped Co and N Atoms and its Catalytic Applications in Hydrogen Production
Published on: December 6, 2021
In situ formed oxy/hydroxide antennas accelerating the water dissociation kinetics on a Co@N-doped carbon core-shell
Tao Yang1, Lang Pei2, Shicheng Yan1
1Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Artificial Functional Materials, National Laboratory of Solid State Microstructures, Collaborative Innovation Center of Advanced Microstructures, Eco-Materials and Renewable Energy Research Center (ERERC), College of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210093, P. R. China. yscfei@nju.edu.cn.
Abstract:
The hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) in alkaline electrolytes is restricted severely by sluggish water dissociation in the Volmer step. Here, we embedded Co crystals into a N-doped carbon (Co@NC) on nickel foam (NF) framework and electrochemically oxidized them in situ to construct a CoOxHy [a mixture of Co(OH)2 and CoOOH] antenna-modified Co@NC core-shell assembly (NF/Co@NC/CoOxHy). The CoOxHy antennas significantly decreased the activation energy of water dissociation to protons (the Volmer step), and hydrogen production over the Co core activated NC shell may follow a multi-carbon catalytic mechanism activated by Co and N atoms. As a result, the NF/Co@NC/CoOxHy configuration exhibits a 40 mV onset potential, a low HER overpotential of 51 mV at 10 mA cm-2, and a current density still reaching around 20 mA cm-2 after 55 h of stability testing in alkaline electrolyte. Our material functionalization strategy may open up a new approach for developing water-alkali electrolysers for use in efficient renewable energy conversion.
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