2-Methylimidazole directed ambient synthesis of zinc-cobalt LDH nanosheets for efficient oxygen evolution reaction

Abstract

It is a highly desired yet challenging task to replace rare and expensive noble metal catalysts with inexpensive and earth-abundant metal ones in electrochemical sustainable chemistry field. Herein, the bimetallic zinc-cobalt layered double hydroxide nanosheets (ZnCo-LDH NS) have been facilely synthesized using 2-methylimidazole as a bifunctional alkali source (OH−) and a morphological controlling reagent by the one-step room-temperature reaction. The mechanism study shows that the weak organic base of 2-methylimidazole-induced slow release of OH− in water/ethanol is the controlling factor for the formation of the LDH nanosheets. The ZnCo-LDH NS modified on glassy carbon electrode exhibited ..