Dynamic Tuning of a Thin Film Electrocatalyst by Tensile Strain

Benson, Eric E.; Ha, Mai -Anh; Gregg, Brian. A.; van de Lagemaat, Jao; Neale, Nathan R.; Svedruzic, Drazenka

doi:10.1038/s41598-019-52245-y

Title: Dynamic Tuning of a Thin Film Electrocatalyst by Tensile Strain

Journal Article · Mon Nov 04 00:00:00 EST 2019 · Scientific Reports

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-019-52245-y· OSTI ID:1575191

Benson, Eric E. ^[1]; Ha, Mai -Anh ^[1]; Gregg, Brian. A. ^[1];

^[1];

^[1]; Svedruzic, Drazenka ^[1]

National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)

We report the ability to tune the catalytic activities for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER) by applying mechanical stress on a highly n-type doped rutile TiO₂ films. We demonstrate through operando electrochemical experiments that the low HER activity of TiO₂ can reversibly approach those of the state-of-the-art non-precious metal catalysts when the TiO2 is under tensile strain. At 3% tensile strain, the HER overpotential required to generate a current density of 1 mA/cm² shifts anodically by 260 mV to give an onset potential of 125 mV, representing a drastic reduction in the kinetic overpotential. A similar albeit smaller cathodic shift in the OER overpotential is observed when tensile strain is applied to TiO₂. Results suggest that significant improvements in HER and OER activities with tensile strain are due to an increase in concentration of surface active sites and a decrease in kinetic and thermodynamics barriers along the reaction pathway(s). Our results highlight that strain applied to TiO₂ by precisely controlled and incrementally increasing (i.e. dynamic) tensile stress is an effective tool for dynamically tuning the electrocatalytic properties of HER and OER electrocatalysts relative to their activities under static conditions.

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Research Organization:: National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)

Sponsoring Organization:: USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES)

Grant/Contract Number:: AC36-08GO28308

OSTI ID:: 1575191

Report Number(s):: NREL/JA-2700-73802

Journal Information:: Scientific Reports, Vol. 9, Issue 1; ISSN 2045-2322

Publisher:: Nature Publishing GroupCopyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

Citation Metrics:

Cited by: 19 works

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36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
titanium dioxide
tensile strain
water splitting
electrocatalysis

Title: Dynamic Tuning of a Thin Film Electrocatalyst by Tensile Strain

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