Bimetallic metal–organic framework-derived cobalt selenide-based composites as bifunctional electrocatalysts for both hydrogen evolution and mono-alcohol oxidation

Abstract

It is essential for energy-saving hydrogen production that an individual catalyst integrates the dual centers of mono-alcohol oxidation and hydrogen evolution. Nevertheless, such integration is thwarted for practical applications owing to insufficient active centers on catalysts. Herein, we created a combination of copper-infused Co_0.85Se enclosed in an N-doped carbon structure (namely Cu-Co_0.85Se@NC), allowing for controlled integration of Cu atoms into Co_0.85Se to adjust the electronic configuration. The electronic modulation induces the generation of well-defined dual active sites, which could optimize mono-alcohol/water adsorption behavior, thus achieving excellent mono-alcohol oxidation and hydrogen evolution properties. Specifically, the activity order of mono-alcohol oxidation on the Cu-Co_0.85Se@NC electrode is methanol > ethanol > isopropanol > n-propanol. Moreover, the necessary voltage for electrolyzing water with methanol assistance is clearly lower than that for regular water electrolysis. This work exhibits a promising strategy for developing energy-saving hydrogen production applications and corresponding high-activity catalysts.