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Updated: Jan 20, 2026
Potentiostat/Galvanostat and Voltammetry
Published on: April 30, 2023
Co/Fe Oxyhydroxides Supported on Perovskite Oxides as Oxygen Evolution Reaction Catalyst Systems
Xi Cheng1, Bae-Jung Kim1, Emiliana Fabbri1
1Electrochemistry Laboratory , Paul Scherrer Institut , Forschungsstrasse 111 , 5232 Villigen PSI , Switzerland.
Adding iron to cobalt oxyhydroxide catalysts boosts oxygen evolution reaction (OER) activity. The best OER performance was achieved using cobalt/iron oxyhydroxides on Ba0.5Sr0.5Co0.8Fe0.2O3-δ perovskite due to optimal interfaces.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Electrochemistry
- Catalysis
Background:
- Cobalt (Co) and iron (Fe) oxyhydroxides are promising electrocatalysts.
- Understanding catalyst-support interactions is crucial for optimizing performance.
- The oxygen evolution reaction (OER) is a key process in water splitting.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the effect of Fe addition on Co oxyhydroxide OER activity.
- To explore the synergistic effects between Co/Fe oxyhydroxides and perovskite supports.
- To identify optimal perovskite structures for enhanced OER catalysis.
Main Methods:
- Deposition of Co/Fe oxyhydroxide catalysts on amorphous carbons and perovskite oxides.
- Electrochemical characterizations to evaluate OER activity.
- Operando X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) to probe catalyst electronic structure.
Main Results:
- Fe addition stabilizes Co cations in a lower oxidation state, enhancing OER activity.
- Co oxyhydroxide deposited on Fe-containing perovskites (e.g., LaFeO3) shows beneficial electronic interactions.
- Co oxyhydroxides on Ba0.5Sr0.5Co0.8Fe0.2O3-δ (BSCF) perovskite exhibit the highest OER activity.
Conclusions:
- Perovskite structures with high oxygen vacancy content and surface reconstruction, like BSCF, provide superior interfaces for Co oxyhydroxides.
- Synergistic Co/Fe electronic interactions and favorable perovskite interfaces lead to maximized OER activity.
- Co/Fe oxyhydroxide catalysts on BSCF represent a highly active system for the oxygen evolution reaction.
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