An efficient catalyst film fabricated by electrophoretic deposition of cobalt hydroxide for electrochemical water oxidation

Abstract

The hexagonal-shaped β-Co(OH)2 discs were electrophoretically deposited on an electrode to yield a stably adherent and uniform β-Co(OH)2 layer. The electrocatalytic water oxidation at the β-Co(OH)2 layer-deposited electrode was investigated to seek efficient water oxidation catalyst for artificial photosynthesis as promising energy-providing systems for the future. The β-Co(OH)2 layer did not work as a water oxidation catalyst in a K2SO4 solution at pH 7.0 when applying 1.70V vs. reversible hydrogen electrode (RHE), although the layer was oxidized to the CoO(OH) layer. In a phosphate buffer solution (pH 7.0), the β-Co(OH)2 layer was dissolved and oxidatively re-deposited as the Co-Pi catalyst (Science, 321 (2008) 1072–1075.) when applying the same potential. While in a Na2B4O7 solution at pH 9.4, the β-Co(OH)2 layer was oxidized to the CoO(OH) layer with the hexagonal-disc-shape remained when applying 1.7V vs. RHE, and the formed CoO(OH) layer works efficiently for electrocatalytic water oxidation in contrast to no catalytic activity in a K2SO4 solution at pH 9.4. The catalytic performance of the formed CoO(OH) layer was evaluated; the overpotential (η) of 0.42V for current generation of 100μAcm−2 and the Tafel slope of 0.21∼0.29V dec−1 were provided for water oxidation at pH 9.4, which are comparable with efficient cobalt-based catalyst films reported so far.