One-step synthesis of Co3O4 nanoparticles/laser induced graphene composites in ambient condition for electrocatalytic OER reaction

In this paper, we report a successful one-step synthesis of Co3O4 Nanoparticles/Laser induced graphene (NPs/LIG) composite by using 1064 nm laser with irradiating cobalt salts impregnated basswood slices in air. The prepared Co3O4 NPs/LIG composites show uniformly distributed nanoparticles on the high-quality 3D graphene. It can be directly used as working electrode for electrochemical reactions without the need for extra post-treatment and exhibits remarkable performance for electrocatalytic OER reaction with an overvoltage of 325 mV at current density of 10 mA·cm−2 and Tafel slope of 66.63 mV·dec−1. Due to its great capability of fabrication precision, simplicity and high speed, this technique indicates immense potential in large scale electrochemical micro-sensor manufacture.