Hetero-coupling of a carbonate hydroxide and sulfide for efficient and robust water oxidation

Abstract

Cost-effective oxygen evolution reaction (OER) catalysts with both superb activity and stability are crucial for practical electrocatalytic water splitting. We herein come up with a metal carbonate hydroxide and metal sulfide (MS/MCH) heterostructure via in situ generating MS on MCH to tackle the conflict between activity and durability. The heterostructure in a unique "nanoparticle-in-nanosheet" configuration features abundant hetero-interfaces between MS and MCH, allowing for effective electron transfer from the antibonding orbital of M-S in MS to M-O in MCH and thus improving the stability of sulfides during water oxidation. Simultaneously, such coupling is able to modulate the electronic..