CoMoO4 nanoparticles decorated ultrathin nanoplates constructed porous flower as an electrocatalyst toward overall water splitting and Zn-air batteries

The design of low-cost, short time, mass preparation and high-efficiency of electrocatalysts for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), oxygen evolution reaction (OER) and zinc air batteries are highly challenging. Herein, we design a bifunctional chrysanthemum-like electrocatalysts (Cu(OH)2@CoMoO4·0.9H2O/CF) for highly efficient electrochemical water splitting by a simple and highly controllable two-step method in a few hours. This unique hierarchical electrocatalyst has porous structure and short diffusion paths, which can promote charge transfer, ion and water diffusion, and rapidly release hydrogen and oxygen bubbles. The obtained Cu(OH)2@CoMoO4·0.9H2O/CF composite exhibits low overpotentials of 57 mV at −10 mA cm−2 toward the HER, which is superior to most of the previously reported CoMoO4-based electrocatalysts. And the Cu(OH)2@CoMoO4·0.9H2O/CF exhibits excellent performance of 355 mV at 100 mA cm−2 toward the OER. Benefiting from the unique hierarchical heterostructure and the coupling effect between the inner and outer layers, the Cu(OH)2@CoMoO4·0.9H2O/CF catalysts were endowed with high activity for water splitting.