Photochemical Synthesis of a Water Oxidation Catalyst Based on Cobalt Nanostructures

New cobalt-based nanocomposites have been prepared by photoreduction of Co2+ salts to generate cobalt nanoparticles deposited on carbon-based materials such as nanocyrstalline diamond and carbon felt. Spontaneous air oxidation converts the metal to Co2O3 which has been tested as a water oxidation catalyst. This work demonstrates that the cobalt oxide nanostructures can be deposited on various carbon surfaces and can catalyze the four-electron oxidation of water to oxygen under anodic bias.