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Title: Elucidating the Structural and Electronic Effects of Ni and Mn Cationic Incorporation on CoOOH for Efficient Benzyl Alcohol Electrooxidation

Journal Article · · ACS Applied Energy Materials

Transition-metal oxyhydroxides such as CoOOH are promising low-cost electrocatalysts for the selective electrooxidation of organic molecules, yet the influence of ubiquitous transition-metal impurities on their performance and durability remains poorly understood. Here, we experimentally probed the individual and synergistic electrochemical and structural effects of Ni and Mn incorporations into model CoOOH electrocatalysts toward an efficient benzyl alcohol oxidation reaction (BAOR). Comprehensive electrochemical, microscopic, and spectroscopic analyses reveal that Ni incorporation enhances charge-transfer kinetics and overall activity through the formation of catalytically active Ni3+ sites, whereas Mn exhibited a more complex but interesting role. At the early stages of operation, Mn4+ acts as a stabilizing surface layer that mitigates catalyst degradation but partially blocks Co sites before they undergo gradual leaching. The concurrent incorporation of both Ni and Mn yields a trimetallic 2NMC@NF electrocatalyst that integrates the activity benefits of Ni with the stability conferred by Mn, achieving 92.9% benzyl alcohol conversion and 91.4% Faradaic efficiency after 24 h at 1.5 V vs RHE. These findings elucidate how trace Ni and Mn impurities, often introduced from electrolytes or external sources, can modulate the lattice and electronic structure of CoOOH, offering a design strategy for enhancing both activity and long-term stability in electrocatalytic organic oxidation.

Research Organization:
Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA (United States); Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Office of Science (SC); USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES)
Grant/Contract Number:
SC0012577
OSTI ID:
3366666
Journal Information:
ACS Applied Energy Materials, Journal Name: ACS Applied Energy Materials Journal Issue: 8 Vol. 9; ISSN 2574-0962
Publisher:
American Chemical Society (ACS)Copyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

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