Co1-xS embedded in porous carbon derived from metal organic framework as a highly efficient electrocatalyst for oxygen evolution reaction

Developing active, robust, and cost-efficient electrocatalysts is critical for oxygen evolution reaction (OER). Here, a novel composite catalyst of Co1-xS embedded in porous dodecahedron carbon hybrid was synthesized by a two-step conversion protocol of a cobalt-based metal-organic framework (ZIF-67). The porous dodecahedron Co1-xS@C composite catalyst was prepared by direct oxidation of ZIF-67 followed by sulfurization reaction. The Co1-xS@C composite exhibit superior OER performance, including a low overpotential of 260 mV for 10 mA/cm(2), a small Tafel slope of similar to 85 mV/dec, outstanding stability over 80 h and almost 100% Faradaic efficiency. The various material characterizations indicate that the excellent activity and strong stability of Co1-xS@C might be attributed to good conductivity of Co1-xS, mesoporous nanostructure, and synergistic effect of Co1-xS encapsulated within porous carbon. This work provides a novel strategy for designing and synthesizing advanced composite electrocatalysts (C) 2018 Chinese Chemical Society and Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.