In situ hybridization of CoOX nanoparticles on N-doped graphene through one step mineralization of co-responsive hydrogels

Abstract

The in situ hydrothermal mineralization for a mixture of graphene oxide (GO) and Co-responsive supramolecular hydrogels led to a hybrid graphene aerogel, doped with Co and N elements. The as-prepared aerogels exhibited a competitive half-wave potential (0.840 V, versus RHE) and peak current density (2.35 mA cm⁻²) to that of Pt/C (0.836 V, 2.23 mA cm⁻², respectively). Furthermore, they demonstrated a significantly perfect catalytic efficiency (nearly 100% of 4e⁻ ORR) toward the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). Insight into the structural details of the hybrid aerogels indicates that the CoO_X active sites anchored on the graphene matrix play a central role in the upgrading of the catalytic performance of graphene aerogels.