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Free-Standing Porous Cu-Based Nanowires as Robust Electrocatalyst for Alkaline Oxygen Evolution Reaction

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Abstract

Cu-based catalysts have emerged as important candidates for oxygen evolution reaction (OER) electrocatalysts. Based on Mg72Cu28 alloy ribbon, a free-standing porous Cu hydroxide/oxide nanowires (p-CuNWs) was fabricated by a combined method of chemical dealloying and electrochemical treatment. The structure and chemical state of p-CuNWs were characterized by X-ray diffraction pattern analysis, scanning electron microscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The p-CuNWs were identified as mixed Cu(OH)2 and CuO with a high active surface area, which exhibit robust activity for OER in alkaline solution with an overpotential of only 377 mV to offer current density of 50 mA cm−2, small Tafel slope of 85 mV dec−1. The catalytic durability of p-CuNWs was also evaluated by cyclic voltammetry cycles and a small decay of activity was observed.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (21403174).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Southwest Petroleum University, Chengdu, 610500, People’s Republic of China

    Zhihao Li, Xingbo Ge & Zhengnan Wang

  2. School of Optical-Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Shanghai for Science and Technology, Shanghai, 200093, People’s Republic of China

    Ling Zhang & Luyi Huang

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  1. Zhihao Li
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  2. Xingbo Ge
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Correspondence to Xingbo Ge or Ling Zhang.

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Li, Z., Ge, X., Wang, Z. et al. Free-Standing Porous Cu-Based Nanowires as Robust Electrocatalyst for Alkaline Oxygen Evolution Reaction. Catal Lett 149, 2376–2382 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10562-019-02834-3

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