A Molecular Tetrahedral Cobalt-Seleno-Based Complex as an Efficient Electrocatalyst for Water Splitting

Area of Science:

• Inorganic Chemistry
• Electrochemistry
• Materials Science

Background:

• Developing efficient electrocatalysts is crucial for renewable energy technologies.
• Molecular cobalt-based systems show promise for water splitting reactions.
• Cobalt-selenium compounds are emerging as potential catalysts.

Purpose of the Study:

• To synthesize and characterize a novel cobalt-selenium coordination complex.
• To evaluate its catalytic performance in oxygen evolution (OER) and hydrogen evolution (HER) reactions.
• To assess its potential as an efficient electrocatalyst for water splitting.

Main Methods:

• Synthesis of the cobalt-selenium coordination complex [Co{(SePiPr2)2N}2].
• Electrochemical evaluation of OER and HER in alkaline solutions.
• Measurement of overpotential, mass activity, and turnover frequency (TOF).

Main Results:

• The cobalt-selenium complex required an overpotential of 320 mV for OER and 630 mV for HER at 10 mA cm-2.
• The OER overpotential is among the lowest reported for molecular cobalt(II) systems.
• High mass activity (14.15 A g-1) and TOF (0.032 s-1) were observed at 300 mV overpotential for OER.

Conclusions:

• The cobalt-selenium complex exhibits excellent catalytic activity for OER.
• Molecular cobalt-selenium systems are highly promising electrocatalysts for OER.
• Further research into these systems could advance water splitting technologies.