ZnCo-ZIF derived CoSe2 on carbon nanotubes: A nanotubular catalyst for enhanced water splitting

Electrocatalysts with high efficiency are needed for the electrolysis of water in the OER and HER applications. This study investigated the use of ZnCo-ZIF as a precursor for synthesizing electrocatalysts with high specific surface area carbon. By bonding and dezincifying the ZnCo-ZIF at high temperatures, high specific surface area carbon was obtained. Additionally, selenium was introduced to the material to grow CoSe2 nanowires, which showed excellent electrocatalytic activity. The CoSe2-600 sample, synthesized at 600 °C, exhibited the best electrocatalytic activity among the prepared samples. CoSe2-600 samples synthesized at 600 °C showed the best electrocatalytic activity. The study opens up a new direction for regulating selenium doping to improve the active specific surface area and electrocatalytic activity of materials, so as to enrich the types of electrocatalytic materials. These findings provide technical support for energy storage of doped carbon-based electrocatalysts. The study contributes to the development of high-efficiency electrocatalysts for water electrolysis, with potential applications in hydrogen production and other related fields.