Turing-type high-entropy oxide nanosheets for efficient seawater electrolysis

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Electrochemistry
• Nanotechnology

Background:

• Turing-type nanostructures with twin boundaries are promising for electrocatalysis.
• High-entropy design offers compositional flexibility and enhanced properties.
• Integrating these concepts could lead to superior electrocatalysts.

Purpose of the Study:

• To design and synthesize Turing-type high-entropy oxide nanosheets for efficient seawater electrolysis.
• To investigate the role of twin boundaries and compressive strain in catalytic activity.
• To evaluate the performance of the designed catalyst in seawater oxidation and hydrogen production.

Main Methods:

• Synthesis of spinel (Co$_{0.19}$Mn$_{0.21}$Cu$_{0.20}$Ni$_{0.20}$Zn$_{0.20}$)$_{3}$O$_{4}$ nanosheets with a Turing-type structure.
• Characterization of nanostructure, composition, and electronic properties.
• Electrochemical testing for seawater oxidation and hydrogen evolution reactions.

Main Results:

• The optimized Turing HEO-300 exhibited an overpotential of 340 mV at 100 mA/cm$^2$ for over 350 hours.
• Compressive strain induced by twin boundaries facilitated hydroxide adsorption and repelled chloride ions.
• A seawater electrolyzer with the catalyst maintained 1 A/cm$^2$ at 1.80 V for over 100 hours.

Conclusions:

• Turing-type high-entropy oxides are highly effective for seawater electrolysis.
• The catalyst design strategy offers a new pathway for developing advanced electrocatalysts.
• This work demonstrates significant potential for sustainable hydrogen production from seawater.