A novel exsolution technique—twice lasers: rapidly aroused explosive exsolution of nanoparticles to boost electrochemical performance

Abstract

Abstract The exsolution of nanoparticles (NPs) on material surfaces exhibits good performance with great potential in the field of catalysis. In this study, a method with twice lasers treatment (TLT) is proposed for the first time to rapidly promote the exsolution of Co NPs to the surface of (La0.7Sr0.3)0.93Ti0.93Co0.07O3 (LSTC) by laser rapid heating to enhance the electrochemical performance of the LSTC. The entire process from precursor powder—stable perovskite crystal structure—Co NPs exsolution on the LSTC surface takes only ≈36 s by TLT. The Co NPs exsolution was confirmed by x-ray diffractometer, scanning electron microscopy and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy. After TLT, a large number of Co NPs reached 75 particles μm−2 appeared on the surface of LSTC with the onset potential of 1.38 V, the overpotential of 214 mV, and the Tafel slope of 81.14 mV dec−1, showing good catalytic activity and long-term stability. The novel process of using TLT to rapidly induce exsolution of NPs enables the rapid preparation of nanoparticle-decorated perovskite materials with better electrochemical properties, thus enriching exsolution technology and opening a new avenue for surface science research.