title: Three-Dimensional Crystalline/Amorphous Co/Co3O4 Core/Shell Nanosheets as Efficient Electrocatalysts for the Hydrogen Evolution Reaction.
abstract: Earth-abundant, low-cost electrocatalysts with outstanding catalytic activity in the electrochemical hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) are critical in realizing the hydrogen economy to lift our future welfare and civilization. Here we report that excellent HER activity has been achieved with three-dimensional core/shell Co/Co3O4 nanosheets composed of a metallic cobalt core and an amorphous cobalt oxide shell. A benchmark HER current density of 10 mA cm(-2) has been achieved at an overpotential of ∼90 mV in 1 M KOH. The excellent activity is enabled with the unique metal/oxide core/shell structure, which allows high electrical conductivity in the core and high catalytic activity on the shell. This finding may open a door to the design and fabrication of earth-abundant, low-cost metal oxide electrocatalysts with satisfactory hydrogen evolution reaction activities.
authors: Department of Chemistry, University of Missouri-Kansas City , Kansas City, Missouri 64110, United States.
authors: Xiaodong
authors: X
authors: Yan
authors: Department of Chemistry, University of Missouri-Kansas City , Kansas City, Missouri 64110, United States.|Hubei Collaborative Innovation Center for Advanced Organochemical Materials, Hubei University , Wuhan 430062, China.
authors: Lihong
authors: L
authors: Tian
authors: Department of Chemistry, University of Missouri-Kansas City , Kansas City, Missouri 64110, United States.|Wuhan University of Science and Technology , Wuhan, Hubei 430081, China.
authors: Min
authors: M
authors: He
authors: Department of Chemistry, University of Missouri-Kansas City , Kansas City, Missouri 64110, United States.
authors: Xiaobo
authors: X
authors: Chen
keywords: Cobalt/cobalt oxide; crystalline/amorphous core/shell; electrocatalysis; hydrogen evolution reaction; three-dimensional nanosheets