Tip effect assisted high active sites for oxygen evolution reaction tuned using transition metals (Cr, Fe and Mo) doped with CoP

Abstract

The tip effect of the high curvature tip top can cause electromagnetic effects to improve the catalytic performance. Doping of transition metals (Cr, Fe and Mo) into CoP array nanocones alters the tip curvature of CoP to strengthen the tip effect with increasing curvature. The stronger tip effect of Fe-CoP improves OH⁻ concentration, accelerates surface charge transfer and enhances the electric field for a higher catalytic efficiency. Fast charge transfer and high electronic conductivity are attributed to transition metal doping, which can be confirmed by theoretical simulations and experiments. The optimized d-band centre of Fe-CoP adjusts the appropriate adsorption strength of the reaction intermediates. Fe doping endows CoP with a higher curvature cone structure and optimizes electronic structure for high catalytic activity and reaction kinetics. Tip cone as special sites tuned by transition metal doping provides a strategy for efficient non-noble metal catalysis.