Heterostructure of Mn3O4 nanoparticles on Cu(OH)2 nanowire arrays for electrocatalytic water oxidation

Electrochemical water splitting is a very prospective technique to obtain the green hydrogen fuel. The oxygen evolution reaction becomes a limitation owing to the multiple electron transfer process. Thereby, a lot of attention is paid on the development of noble-metal free electrocatalysts for boosting the water oxidation process. The heterostructure of Mn3O4 nanoparticles on Cu(OH)2 nanowire arrays is fabricated, which exhibits an electrocatalytic activity close to RuO2. Compared with the single (hydro)oxides, the largely improved performance of the heterostructure towards water oxidation can be attributed to the enhanced charge transfer by the electronic interaction across the interface and the increased active sites for the rational combination of different active species. This work can be valuable for highlighting the role of heterostructure in the design and development of novel transition metal-based electrocatalysts for water oxidation.