Engineering surface atomic structure of single-crystal cobalt (II) oxide nanorods for superior electrocatalysis

Tao Ling, Dong-Yang Yan, Yan Jiao, Hui Wang, Yao Zheng, Xueli Zheng, Jing Mao, Xi-Wen Du (), Zhenpeng Hu (), Mietek Jaroniec and Shi-Zhang Qiao ()
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Tao Ling: Tianjin Key Laboratory of Composite and Functional Materials, Key Laboratory for Advanced Ceramics and Machining Technology of Ministry of Education, Institute of New-Energy, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Tianjin University
Dong-Yang Yan: Tianjin Key Laboratory of Composite and Functional Materials, Key Laboratory for Advanced Ceramics and Machining Technology of Ministry of Education, Institute of New-Energy, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Tianjin University
Yan Jiao: School of Chemical Engineering, The University of Adelaide
Hui Wang: Key Laboratory of Aerospace Materials and Performance (Ministry of Education), School of Materials Science and Engineering, Beihang University
Yao Zheng: School of Chemical Engineering, The University of Adelaide
Xueli Zheng: Tianjin Key Laboratory of Composite and Functional Materials, Key Laboratory for Advanced Ceramics and Machining Technology of Ministry of Education, Institute of New-Energy, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Tianjin University
Jing Mao: Tianjin Key Laboratory of Composite and Functional Materials, Key Laboratory for Advanced Ceramics and Machining Technology of Ministry of Education, Institute of New-Energy, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Tianjin University
Xi-Wen Du: Tianjin Key Laboratory of Composite and Functional Materials, Key Laboratory for Advanced Ceramics and Machining Technology of Ministry of Education, Institute of New-Energy, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Tianjin University
Zhenpeng Hu: School of Physics, Nankai University
Mietek Jaroniec: Kent State University
Shi-Zhang Qiao: Tianjin Key Laboratory of Composite and Functional Materials, Key Laboratory for Advanced Ceramics and Machining Technology of Ministry of Education, Institute of New-Energy, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Tianjin University

Nature Communications, 2016, vol. 7, issue 1, 1-8

Abstract: Abstract Engineering the surface structure at the atomic level can be used to precisely and effectively manipulate the reactivity and durability of catalysts. Here we report tuning of the atomic structure of one-dimensional single-crystal cobalt (II) oxide (CoO) nanorods by creating oxygen vacancies on pyramidal nanofacets. These CoO nanorods exhibit superior catalytic activity and durability towards oxygen reduction/evolution reactions. The combined experimental studies, microscopic and spectroscopic characterization, and density functional theory calculations reveal that the origins of the electrochemical activity of single-crystal CoO nanorods are in the oxygen vacancies that can be readily created on the oxygen-terminated {111} nanofacets, which favourably affect the electronic structure of CoO, assuring a rapid charge transfer and optimal adsorption energies for intermediates of oxygen reduction/evolution reactions. These results show that the surface atomic structure engineering is important for the fabrication of efficient and durable electrocatalysts.

Date: 2016
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DOI: 10.1038/ncomms12876

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