Accelerated Electrons Transfer and Synergistic Interplay of Co and Ge Atoms Activated by Anchoring Nano Spinel Structure Co[sub.2]GeO[sub.4] onto Carbon Cloth Composite Electrocatalyst for Highly Enhanced Hydrogen Evolution Reaction

• Published in: Catalysts 2024-10, Vol.14 (10)
• Main Authors: Chen, Chen, Zhu, Jiarui, Cheng, Ting, Wu, Fei, Xie, Jun, He, Dawei, Dai, Youzhi, Zhang, Xiao, Zhao, Le, Wei, Zhongsheng
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Electric properties; Electron transport; Hydrogen; Spinel group; Transition metal compounds
• ISSN: 2073-4344; 2073-4344
• DOI: 10.3390/catal14100664

The electrochemical hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) was considered to be a promising strategy for future clean energy. In this work, a composite electrocatalyst (designated as CGO36@CC) was synthesized through anchoring of nano spinel structure Co[sub.2]GeO[sub.4] onto carbon cloth fibers and exhibited outstanding electrocatalytic performance for HERs in an alkaline medium. The characterization outcome established that, after 36 h of hydrothermal reaction, nano spinel structure Co[sub.2]GeO[sub.4] particles (exposed abundant 111 crystal planes) were stably loaded onto a carbon cloth fiber surface, and this structural configuration facilitated the electrons transferring between each other. In addition, the electrochemical analysis revealed that the incorporation of nano spinel structure Co[sub.2]GeO[sub.4] and carbon cloth significantly augmented the electrochemical activity value of the composite and efficiently enhanced the HER performance. Notably, the overpotential was merely 96 mV at 10 mA·cm[sup.−2] current density, and the Tafel slope was only 48.9 mV·dec[sup.−1]. Moreover, CGO36@CC displayed remarkable catalytic activity and sustained HER catalytic stability. The theoretical catalytic prowess of CGO36@CC stemmed from the collaborative influence of germanium and cobalt atoms within the exposed 111 crystal plane of the Co[sub.2]GeO[sub.4] molecular framework. The amalgamation of Co[sub.2]GeO[sub.4] with carbon cloth fiber conferred upon the composite electrocatalyst both superior theoretical catalytic activity and enhanced electron transfer capability. This work provides a novel strategy for exploring a highly efficient composite electrocatalyst combined transition metal with carbon material to accelerate the HER activity.