Microwave induced synthesis of mandarin-flower shaped ZnCo_2O_4/GO nanocomposites as efficient electrocatalyst for oxygen reduction reaction

摘要

This work reported the synthesis of zinc cobaltite (ZCO) and its graphene oxide nanocomposite (GO-ZCO) via the microwave irradiation method with unique mandarin-flower-like morphology and compared their electrocatalytic activity towards ORR. The GO-ZCO sample has a larger surface area and higher pore volume compared to its parent ZCO. The presence of GO in the ZCO matrix increases the overall electronic conductivity of the nanocomposite sample, further efficiently catalyzing the O2 reduction. The onset potential of GO-ZCO is 50 mV better than that of pristine ZCO and shows an overpotential value of 300 mV at -3 mA. which is 150 mV more than the pristine ZCO sample (450 mV). This result indicates better performance for the GO-ZCO nanocomposite sample.