Interfacial electronic structure modulation enables CoMoOx/CoOx/RuOx to boost advanced oxygen evolution electrocatalysis

Abstract

Interface modulation and electronic structure modulation are widely recognized as promising avenues for optimizing the physiochemical and electrochemical properties of nanomaterials, which are crucial to improving the electrocatalytic oxygen evolution reaction (OER) performance. Nevertheless, it is still a challenge to realize simultaneous nanointerface engineering and electronic structure modulation. Herein, a facile two-step cation exchange method has been developed for the fabrication of heterostructured CoMoO_x/CoO_x/RuO_x nanoboxes with multiple well-defined nanointerfaces and modified electronic structures. Importantly, benefiting from the compositional and structural advantages, this CoMoO_x/CoO_x/RuO_x nanobox could achieve excellent OER activity with an ultralow overpotential of 250 mV at 10 mA cm⁻². Combining experimental results and mechanistic studies implied that the strong electron interaction on the well-defined nanointerfaces within the multi-component CoMoO_x/CoO_x/RuO_x nanoboxes could induce effective electronic modification, which would significantly optimize the binding energy of *O and *OOH intermediates, thereby contributing to the improved OER performance.