A two-dimensional amorphous iridium-cobalt oxide for an acidic oxygen evolution reaction

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Electrochemistry
• Catalysis

Background:

• Developing efficient electrocatalysts is crucial for energy conversion technologies.
• Two-dimensional (2D) materials offer unique properties for catalytic applications.
• Iridium and cobalt oxides are known for their catalytic potential.

Purpose of the Study:

• To synthesize and characterize a novel 2D amorphous iridium cobalt oxide (Am-IrCoOx) catalyst.
• To evaluate the electrocatalytic performance of Am-IrCoOx for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER).
• To elucidate the origin of the excellent catalytic activity using theoretical calculations.

Main Methods:

• Molten salt synthesis method for preparing 2D Am-IrCoOx.
• Electrochemical measurements in 0.5 M H2SO4 to assess HER performance.
• Density Functional Theory (DFT) calculations to investigate active sites and reaction mechanisms.

Main Results:

• The optimal Am-IrCoOx catalyst exhibited a low overpotential of 230 mV at 10 mA cm-2 for HER.
• DFT calculations identified unsaturated iridium active sites as key contributors to the high electrocatalytic activity.
• The 2D amorphous structure was shown to enhance catalyst performance.

Conclusions:

• The synthesized 2D Am-IrCoOx is a highly efficient electrocatalyst for HER.
• Unsaturated Ir sites are critical for the observed superior performance.
• This study highlights the potential of 2D amorphous oxides in electrocatalysis and other fields.