Hierarchical Cu2S NRs@CoS core-shell structure and its derivative towards synergistic electrocatalytic water splitting

• Published in: Electrochimica acta Vol. 296; pp. 1035 - 1041
• Main Authors: Zhou, Qianqian, Li, Ting-Ting, Wang, Jiayan, Guo, Fenya, Zheng, Yue-Qing
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier Ltd 10-02-2019
• Subjects: Bifunctioanl catalyst; Core-shell structure; Cu2S NRs@CoS; Synergistic effects; Water splitting; Synergistic effects; Water splitting; Core-shell structure; Bifunctioanl catalyst; Cu2S NRs@CoS
• ISSN: 0013-4686; 1873-3859
• DOI: 10.1016/j.electacta.2018.11.183

A hierarchical CoS shelled Cu2S nanorods material grown directly on copper foam (denoted as Cu2S NRs@CoS/CF) was prepared for the first time and used as the bifunctional electrocatalyst for both OER and HER in 1 M KOH solution. Resulting from the substrate-integrated synthesis, the highly open spaces and the synergistic effects between Cu2S and CoS active components, the as-obtained core-shell heterostructure and its derivative behaves as a remarkable active bifunctional electrocatalyst towards both water oxidation and hydrogen evolution reaction in 1 M KOH solution (pH 13.7), which only need low overpotentials of 275 and 235 mV to deliver the current density of 50 mA cm−2 with Tafel slopes of 54 and 121 mV dec−1 for OER and HER, respectively, rivalling the catalytic efficiency of most published non-noble metal catalysts. Furthermore, the fabrication strategy presented here is facile and economical which might offer some insights for fabricating other novel water splitting catalysts with high activity.
•A hierarchical Cu2S NRs@CoS core-shell structure was obtained by a room-temperature sulfurization method.•The hierarchically 3D configuration provides a large number of catalytic active sites.•The as-prepared electrode acted as bifunctional catalyst toward electrochemical water splitting.•The as-prepared electrode shows both notable OER and HER activity in alkaline media.•The synergistic effect between Cu2S core and CoS shell is conductive to promote the catalytic activity.