Ultrafast photothermal shock for crystallization of vanadium oxide and in situ anchoring of Co single atoms for enhanced oxygen evolution reaction

Abstract

An ultrafast photothermal shock simultaneously crystallizes amorphous vanadium oxide and anchors Co single-atoms, kinetically suppressing atomic aggregation within milliseconds. Featuring a vanadium oxide crystalline phase tunable by the applied shock energy and a photothermal temperature reaching 1600 °C, the resulting self-supported electrode demonstrates a proof-of-concept application as a catalyst for the electrochemical oxygen evolution reaction, establishing an efficient route toward advanced single-atom catalysts.