A nitrogen-doped nano carbon dodecahedron with Co@Co3O4 implants as a bi-functional electrocatalyst for efficient overall water splitting

Abstract

High-performance and stable electrocatalysts for both the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER) that can work at the same pH condition are in high demand for overall water-splitting systems. Here, we report a partially oxidized Co in situ anchored in a porous nitrogen-doped nano carbon dodecahedron and its application in electrocatalytic overall water splitting. The Co₃O₄ shell worked as an efficient charge separation layer while the metallic Co inner core transported the separated charges immediately to the N-carbon framework. By constructing a Schottky barrier between the Co₃O₄ shell and metallic Co core, the charge separation and transport processes were speeded up and thus the electrocatalytic activities were dramatically enhanced.