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Title: Detection of high-valent iron species in alloyed oxidic cobaltates for catalysing the oxygen evolution reaction

Journal Article · · Nature Communications

Abstract Iron alloying of oxidic cobaltate catalysts results in catalytic activity for oxygen evolution on par with Ni-Fe oxides in base but at much higher alloying compositions. Zero-field 57 Fe Mössbauer spectroscopy and X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) are able to clearly identify Fe 4+ in mixed-metal Co-Fe oxides. The highest Fe 4+ population is obtained in the 40–60% Fe alloying range, and XAS identifies the ion residing in an octahedral oxide ligand field. The oxygen evolution reaction (OER) activity, as reflected in Tafel analysis of CoFeO x films in 1 M KOH, tracks the absolute concentration of Fe 4+ . The results reported herein suggest an important role for the formation of the Fe 4+ redox state in activating cobaltate OER catalysts at high iron loadings.

Research Organization:
Harvard Univ., Cambridge, MA (United States); Harvard University, Cambridge, MA (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE; USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES). Chemical Sciences, Geosciences & Biosciences Division
Grant/Contract Number:
SC0017619
OSTI ID:
1806590
Journal Information:
Nature Communications, Journal Name: Nature Communications Journal Issue: 1 Vol. 12; ISSN 2041-1723
Publisher:
Nature Publishing GroupCopyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United Kingdom
Language:
English

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  • Bediako, D. Kwabena; Lassalle-Kaiser, Benedikt; Surendranath, Yogesh
  • Journal of the American Chemical Society, Vol. 134, Issue 15 https://doi.org/10.1021/ja301018q
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