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Updated: Sep 11, 2025

Multiscale Sampling of a Heterogeneous Water/Metal Catalyst Interface using Density Functional Theory and Force-Field Molecular Dynamics
Published on: April 12, 2019
Lattice O-O ligands in Fe-incorporated hydroxides enhance water oxidation electrocatalysis
Guoshuai Shi1, Jili Li1, Tingyu Lu1
1Department of Chemistry, State Key Laboratory of Porous Materials for Separation and Conversion, Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemistry for Energy Materials (iChEM) and Shanghai Key Laboratory of Molecular Catalysis and Innovative Materials, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
Abstract:
Understanding the structural dynamics of ligands and their interaction with catalytic centres under reaction conditions remains a fundamental challenge, yet it is essential for catalyst design. Here we reveal an in situ transformation of Ni-Fe hydroxide into a stable superoxo-hydroxide phase, which is accompanied by the formation of lattice O-O (Olatt-Olatt) ligands, as demonstrated using operando 18O-labelling spectroelectrochemistry and machine-learning-assisted global optimization. By correlating the intrinsic activity of Fe with the Olatt-Olatt concentration across a series of Fe-incorporated transition-metal hydroxides and oxides, we demonstrate that Olatt-Olatt triggers Fe activation for oxygen evolution electrocatalysis-a finding further supported by first-principles calculations. Oxygen production proceeds via an adsorbate evolution mechanism, and the enhanced reaction kinetics stem from the lowered activation energy at surface Fe sites in the newly formed superoxo-hydroxide structure. This work offers a strategic framework for designing high-performance Fe-incorporated electrocatalysts and underscores the pivotal role of ligand dynamics in activating catalytic centres.
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