LAUSR

Supramolecular gels and metallogels involving dynamic and reversible noncovalent interactions are touted as alternatives to gels based on polymeric materials for practical purposes and for an obvious edge in tailorability. A stimuli-responsive Co(II) containing a low-molecular-weight metallo-organogel (CoGel) has been synthesized on a nitrogen-rich triazole platform. CoGel shows autonomous self-healing ability owing to the presence of extensive hydrogen bonding between exocyclic amines of the triazole moiety and the entrapped solvent molecules. CoGel-derived Co-xerogel (xerogel1), having a crumpled sheet-like morphology and a large effective surface area, has been calcined in air to obtain sea-urchin-like Co3O4. This Co3O4 has been compared with xerogel1 to understand the beneficial effect of the presence of exposed Co(II)-sites, and also, the presence of a ligand that stabilizes both Co2+ and Co3+ states, in designing efficient and stable electrocatalysts for oxygen evolution reaction (OER). Both xerogel...