Alternate Restacking of 2 D CoNi Hydroxide and Graphene Oxide Nanosheets for Energetic Oxygen Evolution

Lulu Jia; Hao Wan; Xiaohe Liu; Gen Chen; Ning Zhang; Junhui Li; Wei Zhou; Yijun Cao; Renzhi Ma; Guanzhou Qiu

doi:10.1002/cssc.201902641

Alternate Restacking of 2 D CoNi Hydroxide and Graphene Oxide Nanosheets for Energetic Oxygen Evolution

ChemSusChem. 2019 Dec 19;12(24):5274-5281. doi: 10.1002/cssc.201902641. Epub 2019 Dec 3.

Authors

Lulu Jia¹, Hao Wan¹, Xiaohe Liu¹, Gen Chen¹, Ning Zhang¹, Junhui Li¹, Wei Zhou², Yijun Cao³, Renzhi Ma⁴, Guanzhou Qiu¹

Affiliations

¹ State Key Laboratory of Powder Metallurgy, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, 410083, P. R. China.
² Department of Applied Physics, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Low Dimensional Materials Physics and Preparing Technology, School of Science, Tianjin University, Tianjin, 300072, P. R. China.
³ School of Chemical Engineering and Energy, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, 450001, P. R. China.
⁴ International Center for Materials Nanoarchitectonics (WPI-MANA), National Institute for Materials Science (NIMS), Namiki 1-1, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-0044, Japan.

PMID: 31680476
DOI: 10.1002/cssc.201902641

Abstract

Morphology and composition tuning of layered materials is evaluated to influence their electrochemical performance for energy storage and conversion applications. Layered Co_1-x Ni_x hydroxides (x=0, 1/2, 1/3, 1/4, 1) of three different morphologies-nanocones, 2 D nanosheets obtained by the rapid exfoliation of nanoconical counterparts, and 2 D superlattice-like nanostructures alternately restacked by the oppositely charged hydroxide and graphene oxide (GO) nanosheets-have been systematically investigated for electrocatalytic oxygen oxidation. High activity is obtained with the 2 D Co_2/3 Ni_1/3 hydroxide nanosheets/GO superlattice (Co_2/3 Ni_1/3 NS-GO), achieving a current density of 10 mA cm^-2 at a low overpotential of 259 mV accompanied by a small Tafel slope of 35.7 mV dec^-1 , surpassing nanocones and 2 D nanosheets, as well as the congeneric heterostructured Co_1-x Ni_x hydroxide nanosheets/GO nanoarchitectures (Co_1-x Ni_x NS-GO; x=0, 1/2, 1/4, 1) and the commercial RuO₂ electrocatalyst. The outstanding activity of Co_2/3 Ni_1/3 NS-GO superlattice uncovers the combined merits of 2 D superlattice-like structure and composition optimization for electrocatalysis, providing a strategy for developing high-performance electrochemical materials by rational morphology and composition design.

Keywords: exfoliation; hydroxides; layered materials; nanostructures; water oxidation.