Surface valence regulation of cobalt-nickel foams for glucose oxidation-assisted water electrolysis.

Electrooxidation reactions of organic molecules that require a much lower overpotential are currently considered as promising alternatives to replace the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) in water electrolysis. Herein, an ultrafast oxygen plasma treatment is implemented to modify commercial cobalt-nickel foam (CNF) to regulate the high-valence Co 3+ and Ni 3+ , rendering more active sites, faster reaction kinetics and enhanced response towards glucose. Compared to the OER, the overpotential of the plasma-treated CNF at 10 mA cm -2 was reduced to 133 mV via glucose electro-oxidation coupled with water splitting.