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The Nickel Age in Electrocatalytic Anodic Reactions
Toufik Ansari1, Arindam Indra1
1Department of Chemistry, IIT (BHU), Varanasi UP-221005, India.
JACS Au
|July 30, 2026
Summary
Nickel-based electrocatalysts excel in anodic reactions like oxygen evolution. Understanding their dynamic redox behavior and structure-activity relationships is key to designing efficient catalysts for various oxidation processes.
Area of Science:
- Electrochemistry
- Materials Science
- Catalysis
Background:
- Nickel-based electrocatalysts demonstrate superior performance for anodic reactions, including oxygen evolution reaction (OER), organic oxidation, and biomass valorization.
- In alkaline electrolytes, these catalysts transform into active Ni-(O)-OH phases with varying Ni geometry, oxidation states, and coordination environments.
- The dynamic redox behavior of Ni ions is critical for OER and other anodic oxidation processes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To provide a comprehensive understanding of the structure-activity relationships of Ni-based electrocatalysts for anodic oxidation reactions.
- To elucidate the mechanistic aspects of various anodic reactions facilitated by Ni-based catalysts.
- To highlight the importance of dynamic redox behavior in catalyst design.
Main Methods:
- In situ and ex situ spectroscopic techniques.
- Microscopic and analytical techniques.
- Theoretical calculations for structure-activity relationship analysis.
Main Results:
- Detailed mechanistic insights into anodic reactions using Ni-based catalysts.
- Correlation between catalyst structure (crystal phases, Ni geometry, oxidation states) and activity.
- Demonstration of the crucial role of Ni ion redox dynamics.
Conclusions:
- A deeper understanding of Ni-based electrocatalyst mechanisms is essential for optimizing anodic oxidation reactions.
- Structure-activity relationships and dynamic redox behavior are key design principles for efficient Ni-based catalysts.
- Integrated experimental and theoretical approaches provide a clearer picture of catalyst performance.
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