CoNi nano-alloys modified yolk-shell structure carbon cage via Saccharomycetes as carbon template for efficient oxygen evolution reaction

ABSTRACT Developing efficient and stable OER catalysts is conducive to improving hydrogen production efficiency and achieving “carbon neutrality” goal. Herein, a CoNi nano-alloys modified yolk-shell carbon cage (CoNi/NC-YS) catalyst was synthesized through a green synthesis method, which shows an outstanding OER activity with a low overpotential of 292 mV at 10 mA·cm −2 , and a robust OER catalytic stability. The experimental and density functional theory (DFT) results demonstrate that the hydrophilic yolk-shell CoNi/NC-YS catalyst with large specific area contributes to exposing more active sites, and increases the reaction contact area between catalysts and electrolyte. Meanwhile, CoNi nano-alloys can regulate the electronic configuration of CoNi/NC-YS catalyst and optimize Gibbs free energies for water adsorption, accelerating OER process in alkaline media and showing an outstanding OER performance. This work can provide a low-cost and green strategy to construct nano-alloys modified yolk-shell OER catalysts for renewable energy systems.