Nano-electrochemical tools to assess individual catalyst entities are critical to comprehend single-entity measurements. The intrinsic electrocatalytic activity of an individual well-defined Co3 O4 nanoparticle supported on a carbon-based nanoelectrode is determined by employing an efficient SEM-controlled robotic technique for picking and placing a single catalyst particle onto a modified carbon nanoelectrode surface. The stable nanoassembly is microscopically investigated and subsequently electrochemically characterized. The hexagonal-shaped Co3 O4 nanoparticles demonstrate size-dependent electrochemical activity and exhibit very high catalytic activity with a current density of up to 11.5 A cm-2 at 1.92 V (vs. RHE), and a turnover frequency of 532±100 s-1 at 1.92 V (vs. RHE) towards catalyzing the oxygen evolution reaction.
Keywords: Co3O4; carbon nanoelectrodes; electrocatalysis; single-entity electrochemistry; single-particle immobilization.
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