Doping Shortens the Metal/Metal Distance and Promotes OH Coverage in Non-Noble Acidic Oxygen Evolution Reaction Catalysts

• DOI: 10.1021/jacs.2c12431
• Publication Date: 2023-04-03T12:37:48Z
• Authors: Ning Wang; Pengfei Ou; Rui Kai Miao; Yuxin Chang; Ziyun Wang; Sung-Fu Hung; Jehad Abed; Adnan Ozden; Hsuan-Yu Chen; Heng-Liang Wu; Jianan Erick Huang; Daojin Zhou; Weiyan Ni; Lizhou Fan; Yu Yan; Tao Peng; David Sinton; Yongchang Liu; Hongyan Liang; Edward H. Sargent
• Keywords: Noble metal; Electrolysis of water; Overpotential; Oxygen evolution; Bulk electrolysis

Acidic water electrolysis enables the production of hydrogen for use as a chemical and fuel. The acidic environment hinders on non-noble catalysts, result sluggish kinetics associated with adsorbate evolution mechanism, reliant it is four concerted proton-electron transfer steps. Enabling faster mechanism catalysts will help to further advance electrolysis. Here, we report evidence that doping Ba cations into Co3O4 framework form Co3-xBaxO4 promotes oxide path simultaneously improves activity in electrolytes. reported herein exhibit an overpotential 278 mV at 10 mA/cm2 0.5 M H2SO4 electrolyte are stable over 110 h continuous oxidation operation. We find incorporation shortens Co-Co distance OH adsorption, findings link improved electrolyte.