Rational interface engineering of Cu<sub>2</sub>S–CoO<sub>x</sub>/CF enhances oxygen evolution reaction activity
Xin Guan, Xun Sun, Hao Feng, Jie Zhang, Hao Wen, Wenli Tian, Dengchao Zheng, Yadong Yao
Abstract
Interface engineering is the most direct and efficient way to enhance the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) activity of transition-metal sulfides (TMSs). However, present methods of engineering nano-interfaces remain to be improved. Here, we present a nitrate-pyrolysis method to create a sulfide-oxide interface on Cu2S for the first time. Specifically, a CoOx decorated Cu2S nanowire array on Cu foam (Cu2S-CoOx/CF) is prepared successfully, and the XPS result demonstrates the interfacial connection between Cu2S and CoOx. To afford a current density of 25 mA cm-2, Cu2S-CoOx/CF needs an overpotential of 255 mV, lower than that of Cu2S/CF (354 mV) and CoOx/CC (378 mV). These results indicate that the introduction of the sulfide-oxide interface is an efficient means to enhance the OER activity of Cu2S. And this paper should provide a novel route for more explorations in interface engineering for TMSs.