Synergistic effects of vanadium incorporation in cobalt-based LDH on electron and proton transfer during electrocatalytic benzyl alcohol oxidation

Abstract

Electricity-driven water splitting is a promising approach for cost-effective and environment-friendly hydrogen production. However, the anodic oxygen evolution reaction (OER) remains a major bottleneck for its industrial application. An alternative strategy to bypass the OER is the electrocatalytic oxidation of benzyl alcohol for promoting hydrogen production, though achieving this efficiently remains challenging. In this study, we introduce a CoV-layered double hydroxide (LDH) designed specifically for the selective oxidation of benzyl alcohol. This is achieved by incorporating high valence vanadium into Co(OH)₂, a conventional OER catalyst. Due to the synergistic enhancement in electron and proton transfer processes resulting from vanadium incorporation, the CoV-LDH grown on nickel foam (CoV-LDH/NF) displays outstanding activity and selectivity for the benzyl alcohol oxidation reaction (BOR). Notably, the CoV-LDH/NF achieves current densities of 10 and 100 mA cm⁻² at just 1.28 and 1.31 V (vs. RHE), respectively. Moreover, the CoV-LDH/NF demonstrates remarkable durability, showing no decrease in the electrochemical performance over ten consecutive cycles.