Flower-like Co3Ni1B nanosheets based on reduced graphene oxide (rGO) as an efficient electrocatalyst for the oxygen evolution reaction

The preparation of efficient and stable non-noble metal electrocatalysts for the oxygen evolution reaction during the electrolysis of water is extremely significant. Herein, reduced graphene oxide (rGO) supported flower-like Co3Ni1B nanosheets were successfully synthesized via a static precipitation method at room temperature and used as an efficient oxygen evolution reaction (OER) electrocatalyst. This two-dimensional (2D) catalyst has a high specific surface area, which exposes a large number of active sites. The rGO improves the electrical conductivity and promotes fast electron transfer during the OER process. In alkaline medium, the Co3Ni1B-rGO catalyst exhibits superior OER activity with a low overpotential of 318 mV at a current density of 10 mA cm(-2), and stability up to at least 16 hours. This work provides insights into the facile design and preparation of 2D amorphous boride composites for energy transitions.