Site-specific synergy in heterogeneous single atoms for efficient oxygen evolution.

Area of Science:

• Catalysis
• Materials Science
• Electrochemistry

Background:

• Heterogeneous single-atom catalysts offer enhanced performance through synergistic interactions.
• The specific anchoring sites of single atoms significantly influence these synergistic effects.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the impact of anchoring site-specific synergy in heterogeneous single atoms for oxygen evolution reactions (OER).
• To elucidate the role of different anchoring sites on the catalytic activity and mechanism of Ru-Ir single-atom systems on CoOOH.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of Ru$_{T}$Ir$_{V}$/CoOOH and Ir$_{T}$Ru$_{V}$/CoOOH by anchoring Ru and Ir single atoms onto specific sites (three-fold hollow and oxygen vacancy sites) of CoOOH.
• Electrochemical measurements to evaluate oxygen evolution reaction (OER) performance.
• In-situ spectroscopic and mechanistic studies to understand the synergistic interactions and reaction pathways.

Main Results:

• Ru$_{T}$Ir$_{V}$/CoOOH demonstrated superior OER performance compared to Ir$_{T}$Ru$_{V}$/CoOOH.
• Ru single atoms at three-fold facial center cubic hollow sites act as adsorption sites for reaction intermediates.
• Ir single atoms at oxygen vacancy sites stabilize *OOH intermediates through hydrogen bonding.

Conclusions:

• The anchoring sites of heterogeneous single atoms are critical for achieving site-specific synergy.
• Understanding the correlation between anchoring sites and synergy provides a pathway for designing highly efficient single-atom catalysts for OER.