Lattice Oxygen Exchange in Rutile IrO2 during the Oxygen Evolution Reaction

Schweinar K, Gault B, Mouton I, Kasian O (2020)

Publication Type: Journal article

Publication year: 2020

Journal

Journal of Physical Chemistry Letters American Chemical Society

Book Volume: 11

Pages Range: 5008-5014

Journal Issue: 13

DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpclett.0c01258

Abstract

The development of efficient acidic water electrolyzers relies on understanding dynamic changes of the Ir-based catalytic surfaces during the oxygen evolution reaction (OER). Such changes include degradation, oxidation, and amorphization processes, each of which somehow affects the material's catalytic performance and durability. Some mechanisms involve the release of oxygen atoms from the oxide's lattice, the extent of which is determined by the structure of the catalyst. While the stability of hydrous Ir oxides suffers from the active participation of lattice oxygen atoms in the OER, rutile IrO2 is more stable and the lattice oxygen involvement is still under debate due to the insufficient sensitivity of commonly used online electrochemical mass spectrometry. Here, we revisit the case of rutile IrO2 at the atomic scale by a combination of isotope labeling and atom probe tomography and reveal the exchange of oxygen atoms between the oxide lattice and water. Our approach enables direct visualization of the electrochemically active volume of the catalysts and allows for the estimation of an oxygen exchange rate during the OER that is discussed in view of surface restructuring and subsequent degradation. Our work presents an unprecedented opportunity to quantitatively assess the exchange of surface species during an electrochemical reaction, relevant for the optimization of the long-term stability of catalytic systems.

Additional Organisation(s)

Department Werkstoffwissenschaften

Involved external institutions

Max-Planck-Institut für Eisenforschung GmbH (MPIE) / Max Planck Institute for Iron Research DE Germany (DE)

How to cite

APA:

Schweinar, K., Gault, B., Mouton, I., & Kasian, O. (2020). Lattice Oxygen Exchange in Rutile IrO2 during the Oxygen Evolution Reaction. Journal of Physical Chemistry Letters, 11(13), 5008-5014. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jpclett.0c01258

MLA:

Schweinar, Kevin, et al. "Lattice Oxygen Exchange in Rutile IrO2 during the Oxygen Evolution Reaction." Journal of Physical Chemistry Letters 11.13 (2020): 5008-5014.

BibTeX: Download