Highly Efficient Nanoflower-like Bifunctional Electrocatalyst Co-W-B-P/CF for Overall Water Splitting

Abstract

Electrochemical water splitting to produce clean hydrogen (H2) and oxygen (O2) has emerged as an advanced technology to build a sustainable society. Low-cost electrocatalysts with excellent performance are required to improve the energy efficiency in overall water splitting. Here, a Co-W-B-P/CF catalyst with a nanoflower-like structure consisting of microspheres and nanoflakes was successfully synthesized using a one-step double-pulse electrodeposition approach. When used as a bifunctional electrocatalyst for overall water splitting, Co-W-B-P/CF presented the potentials of 1.57 and 1.86 V at current densities of 10 and 100 mA cm–2 in 1.0 M KOH solution, respectively. This was even comparable to that of the high-cost commercial catalyst Pt/C(−)//IrO2(+). Detailed electrochemical tests also showed that the kinetics, electron transfer, and intrinsic electrocatalytic activity of Co-W-B-P/CF in the HER (hydrogen evolution reaction) and the OER (oxygen evolution reaction) were dramatically improved due to the synergetic effect of co-doped B and P elements. Considering the excellent electrocatalytic performance of Co-W-B-P/CF, along with the simple synthesis method and low cost, bifunctional electrocatalyst Co-W-B-P/CF for overall water splitting is promising.