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Enhanced Activity in Layered Metal-Oxide-Based Oxygen Evolution Catalysts by Layer-by-Layer Modulation of Metal-Ion
Ran Ding1, Daniel Maldonado-Lopez2, Jacob E Henebry1
1Department of Chemistry, Temple University, 1901 N. 13th St., Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19122, United States.
ACS Catalysis
|December 11, 2025
Summary
Layered cobalt and nickel oxides exhibit enhanced catalytic activity for oxygen evolution. Atomic arrangement, not just composition, is key to improving performance in these layered catalysts.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Catalysis
- Electrochemistry
Background:
- Few-layered metal oxides are crucial catalysts.
- Metal ion arrangement significantly impacts catalytic activity.
- Oxygen evolution reaction (OER) is vital for energy applications.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the role of atomic preorganization in layered cobalt and nickel oxides for OER.
- To compare the catalytic activity of uniform, mixed-metal, and layer-segregated oxides.
- To elucidate the electronic properties governing catalytic efficiency.
Main Methods:
- Synthesis of few-layered potassium cobalt and nickel oxides with varying compositions.
- Electrochemical testing to determine oxygen evolution overpotential.
- Density functional theory (DFT) simulations to analyze electronic structure.
Main Results:
- Uniform and homogeneously mixed-metal oxides showed limited to moderate catalytic activity.
- Layer-by-layer segregated cobalt and nickel oxide structures demonstrated superior OER performance.
- Segregated structures reduced oxygen evolution overpotential by approximately 200-400 mV.
- DFT simulations revealed distinct electronic properties in segregated materials.
Conclusions:
- Atomic preorganization in layered catalysts is more critical than overall metal composition for OER efficiency.
- Layer-segregated metal oxides offer a promising strategy for developing advanced OER catalysts.
- Understanding electronic structure through DFT is essential for catalyst design.
