A facile synthesis of reduced Co3O4 nanoparticles with enhanced Electrocatalytic activity for oxygen evolution
By Yan-Ru Liu and Guan-Qun Han and Xiao Li and Bin Dong and Xiao Shang and Wen-Hui Hu and Yong-Ming Chai and Yun-Qi Liu and Chen-Guang Liu
Published in International Journal of Hydrogen Energy
2016
Abstract
Novel reduced Co3O4 nanoparticles as electrocatalyst have been synthesized by a facile NaBH4 reduction treatment. Microwave-assisted Co3(CH3COO)5(OH) has been used as precursor to increase the surface area of Co3O4. The as-prepared samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Transmission electron microscope (TEM) and scanning electron microscope (SEM). The original Co3O4 (OCo3O4) nanoparticles have been prepared by annealing of Co3(CH3COO)5(OH). After treatment by NaBH4, \OCo3O4\ transforms into the reduced Co3O4 (RCo3O4). Electrochemical measurements for oxygen evolution reaction (OER) show that \RCo3O4\ has more excellent electrocatalytic activity with the lower onset potential of 1.5