Related Experiment Video
Updated: Feb 3, 2026

Interfacial Molecular-level Structures of Polymers and Biomacromolecules Revealed via Sum Frequency Generation Vibrational Spectroscopy
Published on: August 13, 2019
Origin of the Overpotential for the Oxygen Evolution Reaction on a Well-Defined Graphene Electrode Probed by in Situ
Qiling Peng1, Jiafeng Chen2, Hengxing Ji2
1Institute for Catalysis , Hokkaido University , Sapporo 001-0021 , Japan.
Abstract:
To develop an efficient material for the cathode of the lithium-oxygen (Li-O2) secondary battery, the oxygen reduction and evolution reactions (ORR and OER) on a well-defined graphene electrode have been investigated in a typical organic solvent, dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO). The adsorption and desorption behaviors of the solvents on the graphene electrode surface were evaluated by an intrinsically surface-selective vibrational spectroscopy of sum frequency generation (SFG) during the ORR and OER. After the initial ORR depositing lithium peroxide (Li2O2) on the graphene electrode surface in a LiClO4/DMSO solution, the SFG spectroscopy revealed that the subsequent OER oxidizing the Li2O2 preferentially proceeds at the interface between the Li2O2 and graphene rather than that between the Li2O2 and bulk solution. Therefore, the OER tends to reduce the electric conductivity between the Li2O2 and graphene by decreasing their contact area before a large part of the deposited Li2O2 was oxidized, which elucidates the origin of the high overpotential for the OER.
More Related Videos
08:49Author Spotlight: Unveiling the Potential of VSFG Microscopy in Studying Mesoscopically Heterogeneous Self-Assembled Structures
Published on: December 1, 2023
08:30Preparation of Graphene-Supported Microwell Liquid Cells for In Situ Transmission Electron Microscopy
Published on: July 15, 2019
Related Concept Videos
IR Spectroscopy: Molecular Vibration Overview
Stretching vibrations are vibrational motions that occur along the bond line, changing the bond length or distance between two bonded atoms. They are further distinguished as symmetric or asymmetric. In symmetric stretching, the...
The Evidence for Evolution
IR Spectroscopy: Hooke's Law Approximation of Molecular Vibration
According to Hooke's law, the vibrational frequency is directly proportional to...
Enthalpies of Reaction
Convergent Evolution
Sums of Power