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Simple Methods for the Preparation of Non-noble Metal Bulk-electrodes for Electrocatalytic Applications
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Evaluation of homogeneous electrocatalysts by cyclic voltammetry.
Eric S Rountree1, Brian D McCarthy, Thomas T Eisenhart
1Department of Chemistry, University of North Carolina , Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599-3290, United States.
Inorganic Chemistry
|September 24, 2014
Summary
This viewpoint details using cyclic voltammetry to evaluate molecular electrocatalysts for solar fuel production. It explains key metrics like overpotential and turnover frequency for comparing catalyst performance in hydrogen evolution and CO2 reduction.
Area of Science:
- Electrochemistry
- Materials Science
- Renewable Energy
Background:
- Molecular electrocatalysts are crucial for solar fuel generation, including hydrogen evolution and CO2 reduction.
- Accurate characterization of these catalysts is essential for progress in solar fuels.
Purpose of the Study:
- To present the fundamentals and practical considerations of cyclic voltammetry for electrocatalyst characterization.
- To discuss key metrics for comparing electrocatalyst performance.
Main Methods:
- Fundamentals of cyclic voltammetry (CV).
- Practical experimental considerations for CV.
- Application of CV for characterizing electrocatalysts.
Main Results:
- Discussion of key metrics: overpotential (η), potential for catalysis (E(cat)), observed rate constant (k(obs)), and turnover frequency.
- Presentation of CV responses for a general one-electron reduction.
- Methods for extracting figures of merit from CV data.
Conclusions:
- Cyclic voltammetry is a vital technique for evaluating molecular electrocatalysts.
- Accurate application of CV enables reliable comparison of catalysts for solar fuel applications like H2 evolution and CO2 reduction.
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