Ag nanoparticles decorated urchin-like cobalt carbonate hydroxide composites for highly efficient oxygen evolution reaction

Herein, a novel composite of small amounts of Ag nanoparticles (NPs) decorated urchin-like cobalt carbonate hydroxide hydrate (CCHH) was developed for highly-efficient alkaline oxygen evolution reaction (OER). Not only can Ag colloids, as template agents, modify the morphologies of urchin-like CCHH microspheres to expose more active sites available, but also the supported Ag NPs formed by Ag colloids can transfer the electron to CCHH surfaces, accelerating the transformation of surface CoII to CoIII/CoIV (proton-coupled electron transfer (PCET) process). The urchin-like Ag/CCHH (0.013 mmol) precatalyst (before cyclic voltammetry (CV) activation) exhibits a better OER performance (a low overpotential of 273 mV at 10 mA cm−2 and small Tafel slope of 65 mV dec−1) as compared with commercial RuO2. Furthermore, the dynamic surface self-reconstruction (surface CO32− and OH− exchange) can further enhance the activities of Ag/CCHH precatalysts. Consequently, the optimal Ag/CCHH (0.013 mmol) catalyst presents a superior activity (a lower overpotential of 267 mV at 10 mA cm−2 and markedly reduced Tafel slope to 56 mV dec−1) along with an excellent stability after CV cycles. The study provides a feasible strategy to fully realize the low overpotential of CCHH-based OER electrocatalysts.