Erbium-doped cobalt oxide with an electron supply effect boosting electrocatalytic oxygen evolution

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Electrochemistry
• Catalysis

Background:

• Cobalt oxide (CoO) is a promising electrocatalyst for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER).
• CoO catalysts often face challenges like over-oxidation and structural degradation in alkaline media, limiting their practical application.
• Developing stable and active CoO-based electrocatalysts is crucial for efficient energy conversion technologies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To synthesize and characterize erbium (Er)-doped CoO microspheres.
• To investigate the effect of Er doping on the OER performance and stability of CoO.
• To understand the mechanism by which Er doping enhances OER activity and stability.

Main Methods:

• Synthesis of Er-doped CoO microspheres using L-aspartic acid as a directing agent.
• Electrochemical characterization of the synthesized materials for OER performance (e.g., cyclic voltammetry, linear sweep voltammetry).
• Structural and morphological analysis using techniques like X-ray diffraction and electron microscopy.

Main Results:

• Er-doped CoO microspheres exhibited significantly improved OER activity compared to undoped CoO.
• The doped catalyst demonstrated enhanced structural stability under prolonged OER operation in alkaline solution.
• Er doping was found to optimize the electronic structure of CoO, facilitating electron transfer and suppressing over-oxidation.

Conclusions:

• Erbium doping is an effective strategy to enhance the OER performance and stability of cobalt oxide.
• The L-aspartic acid-assisted synthesis provides a viable route to create doped CoO microspheres.
• This work offers a promising approach for developing robust electrocatalysts for water splitting and other energy applications.