Nanostructured, Targeted Layered Metal Oxides as Active and Selective Heterogeneous Electrocatalysts for Oxygen Evolution

Technical Report · Sat Jan 30 04:00:00 EST 2021

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/1763600· OSTI ID:1763600

Nikolla, Eranda ^[1]

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1. Wayne State Univ., Detroit, MI (United States); Wayne State University

Oxygen evolution reaction (OER) is an important chemical transformation that governs the performance of technologically relevant energy conversion and storage processes, such as electrochemical water splitting in electrolyzers and metal-air batteries. This reaction involves the evolution of oxygen gas from (i) oxygen ions formed from water splitting at high temperatures, (ii) oxygen containing species (i.e., OH, OOH) formed from water splitting at low temperatures, and (iii) metal-oxide discharge products (M_xO₂) in metal-air batteries. One of the main challenges with OER is that it is catalyzed at low temperatures by noble metal-based electrocatalysts, which are expensive (making this process economically unviable), or at high temperatures by metal-oxide based electrocatalysts that are inefficient and lead to high overpotential losses. Our preliminary results, as well as other results in the literature, show that non-noble metal-based oxide electrocatalysts with layered structures, known as nickelate oxides, exhibit promising OER activity. Nickelate oxides (A₂MO_4+δ) belong to the Ruddlesden-Popper series composed of alternating perovskite-like and rocksalt-like layers. They are promising OER electrocatalysts due to their high oxygen transport/exchange properties compared to the state-of-the-art perovskite-type oxides. Unfortunately, these materials are fairly unexplored and little is known about the properties that govern their OER activity. Our preliminary studies, where we combine density functional theory (DFT) calculations, selective synthesis and characterization, show that engineering their nanocrystalline structure can significantly impact their catalytic activity.

• Research Organization: Wayne State Univ., Detroit, MI (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES)
• DOE Contract Number: SC0014347
• OSTI ID: 1763600
• Report Number(s): DE-SC0014347
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
H2 generation
catalysis
electrocatalysis
mixed metal oxides
water splitting