Construction of an efficient CuCo-TA@FeOOH heterojunction for high-performance electrocatalytic seawater oxidation
image: Synthesis and morphology CuCo-ZIF NCs, CuCo-TA NBs, and CuCo-TA@FeOOH
Credit: Bo Hu & Yang Cao.
Researchers at Hainan University have engineered a novel CuCo-TA@FeOOH heterojunction aimed at enhancing the efficiency of electrocatalytic seawater oxidation. This breakthrough, detailed in the journal Frontiers in Energy, offers significant potential for sustainable energy solutions by addressing the challenges posed by high chloride ion concentrations in seawater.
The need for efficient and stable electrocatalysts has become increasingly pressing due to the adverse impact of chloride ions on the electrolysis of seawater. Traditional methods have struggled with efficiency and stability, limiting their practical applications in sustainable energy production.
The research team employed CuCo-ZIF NCs as a precursor, utilizing a combination of acid etching and self-growth methods to synthesize the CuCo-TA@FeOOH heterojunction. This innovative material demonstrates an oxygen evolution reaction (OER) overpotential of 234 mV at 10 mA/cm2 in alkaline freshwater and 256 mV in seawater electrolyte. Its superior performance is attributed to the synergistic interactions at the heterojunction interfaces, enhancing surface area, providing abundant active sites, and improving mass transfer efficiency, which collectively boost catalytic activity.
The development process involved synthesizing CuCo-TA@FeOOH through acid etching and self-growth techniques. This approach ensured the material's stability and efficiency by optimizing the interface between CoOOH and FeOOH, facilitating electron transfer and suppressing undesirable chlorine evolution reactions.
This study offers a promising pathway toward the development of high-performance electrocatalysts for seawater oxidation. The improved stability and performance of the CuCo-TA@FeOOH heterojunction could lead to advancements in energy conversion technologies, potentially influencing future policy and the design of sustainable energy systems.
The research was funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China. For further details, the full paper is accessible in Frontiers in Energy: https://journal.hep.com.cn/fie/EN/10.1007/s11708-025-1021-5.