Realizing a Lattice Se Atom-Modified Co Hydroxide Catalyst via Electrochemical Reconstruction for Enhanced Oxygen...

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Electrochemistry
• Catalysis

Background:

• Efficient oxygen evolution reaction (OER) electrocatalysts are crucial for sustainable hydrogen energy production.
• Developing advanced catalysts with enhanced activity and stability remains a significant challenge.
• Lattice modification offers a promising strategy for designing highly active catalytic centers.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the effect of selenium (Se) atom incorporation on the OER performance of cobalt oxyhydroxide (CoOOH) electrocatalysts.
• To design and fabricate a novel Se-modified CoOOH electrocatalyst with superior OER activity.
• To elucidate the correlation between precatalyst structure and the electrochemical reconstruction of the final catalyst.

Main Methods:

• Theoretical calculations to predict the impact of Se incorporation on OER activity.
• Electrochemical synthesis of a Se-modified CoOOH electrocatalyst from a Co0.85Se precatalyst.
• X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) to analyze the lattice incorporation of Se atoms.

Main Results:

• Theoretical predictions confirmed that Se incorporation effectively enhances OER activity by reducing the energy barrier of the rate-determining step.
• The fabricated Se-modified CoOOH exhibited excellent OER performance, characterized by a low overpotential and remarkable stability.
• XAS results indicated preferential lattice incorporation of Se in the Co0.85Se precatalyst, facilitating the OER process.

Conclusions:

• Lattice incorporation of Se atoms is an effective strategy for designing superior OER electrocatalysts.
• The electrochemical activation of Co0.85Se leads to a lattice-modified CoOOH with enhanced catalytic properties.
• Understanding the precatalyst-catalyst relationship through electrochemical reconstruction is key for rational catalyst design.