A low-cost and high-activity catalyst for oxygen evolution reaction (OER) is the key to the water splitting technology for hydrogen generation. Here we report the use of three solvents, DMF, ethanol and glycol, in the solvothermal synthesis of three nano-catalysts, Co3(VO4)2-I, Co3(VO4)2-II, and Co3(VO4)2-III, respectively. Transmission electron microscope shows Co3(VO4)2-I, II, and III exist as ultrafine nanosheets, ultrathin nanofilms, and ultrafine nanosheet-comprised microspheres, respectively. These Co3(VO4)2 catalysts exhibit OER electrocatalysis, among which the Co3(VO4)2-II shows the lowest onset overpotential of 310 mV and only requires a small overpotential of 330 mV to drive current density of 10 mA/cm2. Due to their high surface free energy, the ultrathin nanofilms of Co3(VO4)2-II exhibits a good immobilization effect with the high electrocatalytic activity for OER.
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