AUTHOR=Zhang Wei , Ma Xiaoya , Zhong Cheng , Ma Tianyi , Deng Yida , Hu Wenbin , Han Xiaopeng TITLE=Pyrite-Type CoS2 Nanoparticles Supported on Nitrogen-Doped Graphene for Enhanced Water Splitting JOURNAL=Frontiers in Chemistry VOLUME=6 YEAR=2018 URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/chemistry/articles/10.3389/fchem.2018.00569 DOI=10.3389/fchem.2018.00569 ISSN=2296-2646 ABSTRACT=

It is extremely meaningful to develop cheap, highly efficient, and stable bifunctional electrocatalysts for both hydrogen and oxygen evolution reactions (HER and OER) to promote large-scale application of water splitting technology. Herein, we reported the preparation of CoS2 nanoparticles supported on nitrogen-doped graphene (CoS2@N-GN) by one-step hydrothermal method and the enhanced electrochemical efficacy for catalyzing hydrogen and oxygen in water electrolysis. The CoS2@N-GN composites are composed of nitrogen-doped graphene and CoS2 nanocrystals with the average size of 73.5 nm. Benefitting from the improved electronic transfer and synergistic effect, the as-prepared CoS2@N-GN exhibits remarkable OER and HER performance in 1.0 M KOH, with overpotentials of 243 mV for OER and 204 mV for HER at 10 mA cm−2, and the corresponding Tafel slopes of 51.8 and 108 mV dec−1, respectively. Otherwise, the CoS2@N-GN hybrid also presents superior long-term catalytic durability. Moreover, an alkaline water splitting device assembled by CoS2@N-GN as both anode and cathode can achieve a low cell voltage of 1.53 V at 60 °C with a high faraday efficiency of 100% for overall water splitting. The tremendously enhanced electrochemical behaviors arise from favorable factors including small sized, homogenously dispersed novel CoS2 nanocrystals and coupling interaction with the underlying conductive nitrogen-doped graphene, which would provide insight into the rational design of transition metal chalcogenides for highly efficient and durable hydrogen and oxygen-involved electrocatalysis.