The reduction degree of graphene oxide substrate governs the activity and stability of Co 3 O 4 /rGO nanocomposites toward oxygen reduction reaction and oxygen evolution reaction. In this work, Co 3 O 4 nanoparticles with narrow size distribution were uniformly deposited onto graphene oxide materials with different reduction degrees, by using a microwave-assisted hydrothermal method. The physicochemical characterization of these nanocomposites indicates that oxygenated groups grafted onto a reduced graphene oxide surface allow creating strong interactions between the carbon-based substrate and Co 3 O 4 nanocrystals. The obtained results denote that the electrocatalytic activity and stability of these nanocomposites toward the ORR and OER depend on the entanglement between the strength of the carbon/oxide interaction and the electronic conductivity of the substrate.
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