Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 19, 2026

Synthesis and Performance Characterizations of Transition Metal Single Atom Catalyst for Electrochemical CO2 Reduction
Published on: April 10, 2018
Operando Identification of h-CoSe@Co Self-Reconstruction into a CoOOH Heterointerface as the Active Site for Alkaline
Ngoc Minh Tran1, Gi-Nam Bae1, Pugalenthiyar Thondaiman2
1Department of Environmental Engineering, Inha University, Incheon, Republic of Korea.
None:
Understanding the dynamic surface evolution of electrocatalysts under working conditions is essential for the rational design of efficient water-splitting systems. Herein, the self-induced surface reconstruction of a superstructural electrocatalyst composed of metallic cobalt/hexagonal cobalt selenide nanoparticles confined within an N-doped carbon nanocage (h-CoSe@Co) during the alkaline hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) is investigated. Upon surface reconstruction, h-CoSe@Co evolves into an h-CoSe/CoOOH heterointerface that serves as the catalytically active site, promoting water adsorption and facilitating water dissociation. In situ Raman spectroscopy enables direct observation of the surface reconstruction and interfacial water capture. Complementary density functional theory (DFT) calculations further demonstrate that the h-CoSe/CoOOH heterostructure exhibits redistributed electronic states near the Fermi level and a near-thermoneutral Gibbs free energy of hydrogen adsorption. Due to the synergistic effects of surface reconstruction and intrinsic properties, h-CoSe@Co delivers enhanced HER performance relative to o-CoSe2 and c-CoSe2. This proof-of-concept study provides deep insight into the structure-activity relationship of a cobalt-based chalcogenide electrocatalyst through a self-induced surface reconstruction strategy for tuning adsorption energetics, thereby advancing efficient hydrogen energy technologies.
Related Concept Videos
Heterogeneous Catalysis
Reduction of Alkenes: Catalytic Hydrogenation
Metals like palladium, platinum, and nickel are commonly used in their solid forms — fine powder on an inert surface. As these catalysts remain insoluble in the reaction mixture, they are referred to as heterogeneous catalysts.
The hydrogenation process takes place on the surface of...
Reduction of Alkenes: Asymmetric Catalytic Hydrogenation
The metal catalyst used can be either heterogeneous or homogeneous. When hydrogenation of an alkene generates a chiral center, a pair of enantiomeric products is expected to form. However, an enantiomeric excess of one of the products can be facilitated using an enantioselective reaction or an...
Amines to Alkenes: Cope Elimination
Interfacial Electrochemical Methods: Overview
Hydroboration-Oxidation of Alkenes

![Protein Film Infrared Electrochemistry Demonstrated for Study of H2 Oxidation by a [NiFe] Hydrogenase](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcloudfront.jove.com%2FCDNSource%2Fteasers%2F55858.jpg&w=3840&q=50)