Breaking hydrogen-bonding confinement with B-OH groups to accelerate proton transfer during oxygen evolution

Area of Science:

• Electrochemistry
• Materials Science
• Catalysis

Background:

• The oxygen evolution reaction (OER) is critical for renewable energy technologies.
• Improving OER efficiency, especially at high current densities, remains a significant challenge.
• Understanding and controlling the reaction microenvironment is key to catalyst design.

Purpose of the Study:

• To engineer the OER microenvironment by introducing B-OH groups.
• To quantify the impact of B-OH groups on proton transfer coefficients under high current densities.
• To demonstrate a strategy for enhancing OER performance applicable to various electrocatalytic systems.

Main Methods:

• Introduction of B-OH functional groups near Ruthenium (Ru) active sites.
• Analysis of open-circuit potential decay transients to determine proton transfer coefficients.
• Electrocatalytic performance testing under high-current-density conditions.

Main Results:

• The presence of B-OH groups reorganizes the local hydrogen-bonding network.
• Enrichment of free water molecules and facilitated proton transfer kinetics were observed.
• Improved OER performance was achieved without altering the electronic structures of the Ru active centers.

Conclusions:

• Engineering the OER microenvironment via B-OH groups is an effective strategy to enhance proton transfer.
• This approach offers a versatile method for improving electrocatalytic systems.
• The findings provide insights into catalyst design for efficient energy conversion.