The Role of Ceria in a Hybrid Catalyst toward Alkaline Water Oxidation

• DOI: 10.1002/cssc.202001542
• Publication Date: 2020-07-17T10:04:11Z
• Authors: Jun Yu; Zheng Wang; Jian Wang; Wenhua Zhong; Min Ju; Rongming Cai; Chen Qiu; Xia Long; Shihe Yang
• Keywords: Oxygen evolution; Oxidation state

Ceria-based catalysts for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) have received keen interest in recent years owing to their potential excellent cost performance. However, despite a flurry of research activities, mechanism on how ceria activates those hybrid is still puzzling. Herein, by controllably modifying oxidation state Ce ceria, it was revealed that creating Ce3+ species, which are redox-coupled Ce4+ under OER conditions, could enhance conductivity and optimize OH* binding, leading greatly improved activity catalysts. More importantly, ceria-based also exhibited long-term stability even when operating at high current density 50 mA cm-2 strong alkaline electrolyte 6 m KOH more than h. This work unveils underlying role improving activity/stability opens way design fabricate electrocatalysts water splitting.