Facile synthesis of C60-nano materials and their application in high-performance water splitting electrocatalysis

Abstract

Here, we report the synthesis and characterization of crystalline C₆₀ nanomaterials and their applications as bifunctional water splitting catalysts. The shapes of the resulting materials were tuned via a solvent engineering approach to form rhombic-shaped nanosheets and nanotubes with hexagonal close packed-crystal structures. The as-synthesized materials exhibited suitable properties as bifunctional catalysts for HER and ORR reactions surpassing by far the electrocatalytic activity of commercially available amorphous C₆₀. The C₆₀ nanotubes displayed the most efficient catalytic performance with a small onset potential of −0.13 V vs. RHE and ultrahigh electrochemical stability properties towards the generation of molecular hydrogen. Additionally, the rotating-disk electrode measurements revealed that the oxygen reduction mechanism at the nanotube electrochemical surfaces followed an effective four-electron pathway. The improved catalytic activity was attributed to the enhanced local electric fields at the high curvature surfaces.