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DOE OSTI · 2565580

Metal Doping Regulates Electrocatalysts Restructuring During Oxygen Evolution Reaction

Abstract

High-efficiency and low-cost catalysts for oxygen evolution reaction (OER) are critical for electrochemical water splitting to generate hydrogen, which is a clean fuel for sustainable energy conversion and storage. Among the emerging OER catalysts, transition metal dichalcogenides have exhibited superior activity compared to commercial standards such as RuO 2 , but inferior stability due to uncontrolled restructuring with OER. Here, in this study, we create bimetallic sulfide catalysts by adapting the atomic ratio of Ni and Co in Co x Ni 1-x S y electrocatalysts to investigate the intricate restructuring processes. Surface-sensitive X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and bulk-sensitive X-ray absorption spectroscopy confirmed the favorable restructuring of transition metal sulfide material following OER processes. Our results indicate that a small amount of Ni substitution can reshape the Co local electronic structure, which regulates the restructuring process to optimize the balance between OER activity and stability. This work represents a significant advancement in the development of efficient and noble metal-free OER electrocatalysts through a doping-regulated restructuring approach.

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Wang, Maoyu, Muhich, Brian A., He, Zizhou, Yang, Zhenzhen, Yang, Dongqi, Lucero, Marcos, Nguyen, Hoan Khai, Sterbinsky, George E., Árnadóttir, Líney, Zhou, Hua, Fei, Ling, Feng, Zhenxing. 2024-05-10. Metal Doping Regulates Electrocatalysts Restructuring During Oxygen Evolution Reaction. https://doi.org/10.1002/cssc.202400332

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