Enhanced hydrogen evolution reaction via regulating the adsorbability between 2D CoO nanosheets and CC substrate.

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Electrochemistry
• Nanotechnology

Background:

• Bifunctional electrocatalysts, particularly nanomaterials grown on substrates, are crucial for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) in sustainable energy.
• The impact of interfacial interactions between electrode materials and substrates on device performance is not well understood.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the role of interfacial interactions in electrocatalyst performance for HER.
• To develop a high-performance hybrid electrocatalyst using 2D CoO nanosheets on carbon cloth (CC).

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of two-dimensional (2D) CoO nanosheets grown on carbon cloth (CC).
• Structural analysis to understand the connection between CoO nanosheets and CC.
• Electrochemical testing to evaluate HER performance.
• Density functional theory (DFT) calculations to explore interfacial effects.

Main Results:

• 2D CoO/CC exhibits a seamlessly conductive network with CoO nanosheets connected to CC via adsorption.
• The 2D CoO/CC catalyst shows superior HER performance compared to commercial Pt/C and CoO(aq.)/CC.
• Achieved excellent HER metrics: 2 mV onset potential, 22 mV overpotential at 10 mA cm⁻², and 37 mV dec⁻¹ Tafel slope.

Conclusions:

• Adsorption at the interface significantly influences electrocatalyst performance for HER.
• This research offers new insights into interfacial engineering for electrochemical devices.
• Provides a pathway for designing advanced electrocatalysts for practical energy applications.