Nonmetal Single-Tellurium-Atom Electrocatalysts for Efficient Oxygen Evolution Reaction.

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Catalysis
• Electrochemistry

Background:

• Metal-based single-atom catalysts (SACs) face challenges like aggregation in energy applications.
• Developing metal-free SACs is essential for advancing catalyst technology.

Purpose of the Study:

• To synthesize and evaluate nonmetal tellurium single atoms anchored on N,O-doped carbon (Te SA/(N,O)-C) as an alternative to metal-based SACs.
• To investigate the catalytic activity and durability of Te SA/(N,O)-C for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER).

Main Methods:

• Theoretical calculations guided the synthesis of Te SA/(N,O)-C.
• Controllable synthesis of nonmetal Te SACs with Te-C/Te-O bonds.
• Electrochemical testing for OER activity, including overpotential and Tafel slope measurements.
• In situ Raman spectroscopy and theoretical calculations to understand the catalytic mechanism.

Main Results:

• Te SA/(N,O)-C was successfully synthesized with ≤12.1 wt% Te loading.
• The catalyst exhibited superior OER activity (346 mV overpotential at 10 mA cm⁻²) and a Tafel slope of 64.9 mV dec⁻¹.
• Demonstrated excellent durability, comparable to state-of-the-art metal catalysts.
• Strong electronic interaction between Te atoms and the support was confirmed, optimizing active sites.

Conclusions:

• Nonmetal Te SACs show promise as efficient and durable catalysts for OER.
• The strong electronic interaction between Te and the support is key to enhanced catalytic performance.
• This work provides a new strategy for designing advanced nonmetal SACs for catalysis.