Developing
efficient bifunctional electrocatalysts based on inexpensive
and earth-abundant materials for oxygen evolution reaction (OER) and
hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) is essential for large-scale renewable
energy storage and conversion processes but remains a major challenge.
In this study, a bamboo-structured nitrogen-doped carbon nanotube
coencapsulated with metallic cobalt and Mo2C nanoparticles
(Co–Mo2C@NCNT) is designed and synthesized by a
successive pyrolysis approach and demonstrated to be an efficient
and stable bifunctional electrocatalyst for overall water splitting
in alkaline medium. Attributing to favorable synergy interaction in
composition and structure, the resultant Co–Mo2C@NCNT
presents the superior performances toward HER, OER, and even overall
water splitting in alkaline medium. To drive a current density of
10 mA cm–2, it needs only an overpotential of ∼186
and ∼377 mV for the electrocatalytic HER and OER, respectively,
and a relatively low cell voltage (∼1.628 V) for overall water
electrolysis. The present finding would open a new avenue to design
and develop electocatalytically active multicomponent architectures
for overall water splitting.
Proton-exchange membrane fuel cells have been reported as one of the most promising substitutes for fossil fuel and limited oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) kinetics on the cathode still remain the...
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