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Correlation between oxygen evolution reaction activity and surface compositional evolution in epitaxial
Prajwal Adiga1, Le Wang2, Cindy Wong1
1School of Chemical, Biological and Environmental Engineering, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon, 97331, USA. kelsey.stoerzinger@oregonstate.edu.
Nanoscale
|January 3, 2023
Summary
Electrochemical cycling alters the surface composition and structure of perovskite catalysts, impacting their oxygen evolution reaction activity. Understanding these surface changes is crucial for designing efficient green hydrogen production systems.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Electrochemistry
- Catalysis
Background:
- Water electrolysis generates green hydrogen using renewable electricity, crucial for sustainable energy and chemical production.
- Oxygen evolution reaction (OER) catalyst activity is key to improving electrolyzer efficiency.
- ABO3-type perovskite oxides are tunable, earth-abundant materials with potential for OER catalysis.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the impact of electrochemical cycling on the OER activity of La0.5Sr0.5Ni1-xFexO3- perovskite films.
- To understand the relationship between bulk composition, surface composition, and OER performance.
- To elucidate the role of surface changes in catalyst activity.
Main Methods:
- Epitaxial film growth of La0.5Sr0.5Ni1-xFexO3- (x = 0-0.5) using oxide molecular beam epitaxy.
- Electrochemical testing to evaluate OER activity.
- Surface-sensitive spectroscopic analyses to determine surface composition and structure.
Main Results:
- Electrochemical cycling induced nickel segregation to the surface of the perovskite films.
- Surface amorphization was observed, influenced by electrochemical history.
- Changes in OER activity correlated with observed surface composition and structural modifications.
Conclusions:
- Surface composition and structure significantly influence OER activity in perovskite catalysts.
- Electrochemical history plays a critical role in determining catalyst surface evolution and performance.
- Findings suggest common active surface motifs applicable to high surface area systems for enhanced OER catalysis.
