Topotactic transition of α-Co(OH)2 to β-Co(OH)2 anchored on CoO nanoparticles during electrochemical water oxidation: synergistic electrocatalytic effects

Abstract

Herein, we report a single step, anionic surfactant-assisted, low temperature-hydrothermal synthetic strategy of CoO nanoparticles anchored on β-Co(OH)₂ nanosheets which show a low overpotential (295 mV @ 10 mA cm⁻²) for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER). They also demonstrate much better kinetic parameters compared to the state-of-the-art RuO₂. Interestingly, under the OER operational conditions (in alkaline medium), the topotactic transformation of α-Co(OH)₂ to a stable Brucite-like β-Co(OH)₂ phase leads to a synergistic interaction between the β-Co(OH)₂ sheets on the CoO nanoparticles for enhancing the OER electrocatalytic activity.