Metal Doping and Ligand Engineering as Tools for Tailoring the Electronic Structure of Coordination Polymers and their Oxygen Evolution Electrocatalytic Activity

Electrocatalytic production of fuels [green hydrogen from water, C1-high energy molecules from CO₂, NAD(P)H from NAD(P)⁺], utilizing renewable energy sources, has in the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) its Achilles’ heel. Among the catalysts developed for facilitating OER, those based on coordination polymers (CPs) are attracting considerable interest due to their simplicity of preparation and modularity. In this review, after having recalled the key-parameters that have to be considered when evaluating and benchmarking electrocatalysts, it is shown how the performance of CP-based OER catalysts can be rationally improved by a) the suitable selection of the metal ion combination and b) engineering CPs with appropriate organic linkers. It is inferred that the catalytic effect of adding a different metal ion, than that of the CP structure (metal doping), occurs through an indirect alteration of the electronic features of the active metal center, which might be described by considering the energy of the d-band with respect to that of the Fermi level (E_d), the e_g occupancy or the metal ionic electronegativity (MIE). In rare cases, it is assumed that the added metal center can directly and synergistically participate at the catalytic process. The much less explored strategy b) to improve the performance of OER electrocatalysts, by properly engineering organic linkers, is related not only to an alteration of the electron density (acidity) of the metal center but also to a modification of the electron localization and conductivity of CPs.     

The sum is more than its parts: stability of MnFe oxide nanoparticles supported on oxygen-functionalized multi-walled carbon nanotubes at alternating oxygen reduction reaction and oxygen evolution reaction conditions

Successful design of reversible oxygen electrocatalysts does not only require to consider their activity towards the oxygen reduction (ORR) and the oxygen evolution reactions (OER), but also their electrochemical stability at alternating ORR and OER operating conditions, which is important for potential applications in reversible electrolyzers/fuel cells or metal/air batteries. We show that the combination of catalyst materials containing stable ORR active sites with those containing stable OER active sites may result in a stable ORR/OER catalyst if each of the active components can satisfy the current demand of their respective reaction. We compare the ORR/OER performances of oxides of Mn (stable ORR active sites), Fe (stable OER active sites), and bimetallic Mn_0.5Fe_0.5 (reversible ORR/OER catalyst) supported on oxidized multi-walled carbon nanotubes. Despite the instability of Mn and Fe oxide for the OER and the ORR, respectively, Mn_0.5Fe_0.5 exhibits high stability for both reactions.

     

Autologous Cobalt Phosphates with Modulated Coordination Sites for Electrocatalytic Water Oxidation

The correlation between metal coordination and electrocatalytic water oxidation performance is elusive in many cobalt‐based materials. Herein, we designed an ideal Co phosphate‐based platform to explore the effect of coordination environment on oxygen evolution reaction (OER) activity. The cobalt geometry was modulated from octahedral to tetrahedral by simple removal of water ligands in Co₃(PO₄)₂?8 H₂O. Other features except the coordination structure in the two autologous materials remain similar. The two analogues display the same OER kinetics, but the anhydrous Co₃(PO₄)₂ exhibits a greatly enhanced OER activity. On the basis of Raman and operando XAS results, the higher intrinsic activity of the Co tetrahedral sites is because they facilitate the formation of active high valent cobalt (hydr)oxide intermediates during OER. This work not only brings insights of OER on Co‐based electrocatalysts but also provides a reference system to study the effect of metal geometry on electrocatalysis.     

Modular Design of Noble‐Metal‐Free Mixed Metal Oxide Electrocatalysts for Complete Water Splitting

Electrocatalytic water splitting into H₂ and O₂ is a key technology for carbon‐neutral energy. Here, we report a modular materials design leading to noble metal‐free composite electrocatalysts, which combine high electrical conductivity, high OER and HER reactivity and high durability. The scalable bottom‐up fabrication allows the stable deposition of mixed metal oxide nanostructures with different functionalities on copper foam electrodes. The composite catalyst shows sustained OER and HER activity in 0.1 m aqueous KOH over prolonged periods (t>10 h) at low overpotentials (OER: ≈300 mV; HER: ≈100 mV) and high faradaic efficiencies (OER: ≈100 %, HER: ≈98 %). The new synthetic concept will enable the development of multifunctional, mixed metal oxide composites as high‐performance electrocatalysts for challenging energy conversion and storage reactions.     

Random Occupation of Multimetal Sites in Transition Metal-Organic Frameworks for Boosting the Oxygen Evolution Reaction

Developing robust oxygen evolution reaction (OER) electrocatalysts with excellent performance is essential for the conversion of renewable electricity to clean fuel. Herein, we present a facile concept for the synthesis of efficient high-entropy metal-organic frameworks (HEMOFs) as electrocatalysts in a one-step solvothermal synthesis. This strategy allows control of the microstructure and corresponding lattice distortion by tuning the metal ion composition. As a result, the OER activity was improved by optimizing the coordination environment of the metal catalytic center. The optimized Co-rich HEMOFs exhibited a low overpotential of 310 mV at a current density of 10 mA cm⁻², better than a RuO₂ catalyst tested under the same conditions. The finding of lattice distortion of the HEMOFs provides a new strategy for developing high-performance electrocatalysts for energy conversion.     

From pseudocapacitive redox to intermediary adsorption in oxygen evolution reaction

The mechanism of oxygen evolution reaction (OER) is somehow related to that of the pseudocapacitance of metal oxide electrocatalysts in potentials lower than the OER standard potential. Although pseudocapacitance of metal oxide electrocatalysts is usually studied in the investigations of OER, this dependence is not profoundly inspected. During the pseudocapacitive behavior, some high valence cations are formed over a broad range of potential in an underpotential region before the formal redox potential. This is due to the exceptional activities of some sites, which are capable of further oxidation at the OER potential to form active sites for the OER electrocatalysis. Therefore, a well-defined pseudocapacitance is somehow a requirement for the OER performance. Almost all OER electrocatalysts reported in the literature display considerable pseudocapacitive behavior at the lower potentials. The corresponding pseudocapacitance explains the difference between the OER activities of IrO₂ and RuO₂. Here, the focus is on noble metals as the well-defined OER electrocatalysts, but the reasoning can be extended to other metal oxides. The electrochemical behaviors including the pseudocapacitance of almost all inexpensive OER electrocatalysts such as cobalt oxide, nickel oxide, etc. are similar to that of IrO₂ as described here. Moreover, despite the high cost, noble metals still have the practical potentials for OER, subject to further enhancement in the OER efficiency or as additives in inexpensive electrocatalysts.     

Heterometallic Feed Ratio-Dominated Oxygen Evolution Activity in Self-Supported Metal-Organic Framework Nanosheet Arrays Electrocatalyst

Developing earth-abundant, highly active and long-term durable electrocatalysts for oxygen evolution reaction (OER) is highly desirable and great challenging for large-scale industrial application of electrochemical water splitting. Herein, in-situ growth of uniform nanosheet arrays on nickel foam (NF) is hydrothermally achieved by varying feed ratios of Fe^III and Ni^II salts. The feed ratio of the two active metals has significantly dominated both the morphological and electronic structures of the resultant electrocatalysts, leading to feed ratio-dependent volcano-type OER activity. The optimized Fe_0.89Ni_0.11-BDC/NF exhibits the best OER performance, affording a low overpotential of 220 mV to drive a current density of 50 mA · cm^–2 with small Tafel slope of 44.8 mV · dec^–1 and long-lasting stability over 20 hours. The synergistic effect from the Fe^III and Ni^II species on both the morphological and electronic structure modulations have dramatically accelerated the reaction kinetics, responsible eventually for the enhanced OER activity. This work provides valuable information for nanostructured MOFs as efficient electrocatalysts.     

Multifunctional Active‐Center‐Transferable Platinum/Lithium Cobalt Oxide Heterostructured Electrocatalysts towards Superior Water Splitting

Designing cost‐effective and efficient electrocatalysts plays a pivotal role in advancing the development of electrochemical water splitting for hydrogen generation. Herein, multifunctional active‐center‐transferable heterostructured electrocatalysts, platinum/lithium cobalt oxide (Pt/LiCoO₂) composites with Pt nanoparticles (Pt NPs) anchored on LiCoO₂ nanosheets, are designed towards highly efficient water splitting. In this electrocatalyst system, the active center can be alternatively switched between Pt species and LiCoO₂ for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER), respectively. Specifically, Pt species are the active centers and LiCoO₂ acts as the co‐catalyst for HER, whereas the active center transfers to LiCoO₂ and Pt turns into the co‐catalyst for OER. The unique architecture of Pt/LiCoO₂ heterostructure provides abundant interfaces with favorable electronic structure and coordination environment towards optimal adsorption behavior of reaction intermediates. The 30 % Pt/LiCoO₂ heterostructured electrocatalyst delivers low overpotentials of 61 and 285 mV to achieve 10 mA cm^?2 for HER and OER in alkaline medium, respectively.     

Metallic Co4N Porous Nanowire Arrays Activated by Surface Oxidation as Electrocatalysts for the Oxygen Evolution Reaction

Designing highly efficient electrocatalysts for oxygen evolution reaction (OER) plays a key role in the development of various renewable energy storage and conversion devices. In this work, we developed metallic Co₄N porous nanowire arrays directly grown on flexible substrates as highly active OER electrocatalysts for the first time. Benefiting from the collaborative advantages of metallic character, 1D porous nanowire arrays, and unique 3D electrode configuration, surface oxidation activated Co₄N porous nanowire arrays/carbon cloth achieved an extremely small overpotential of 257 mV at a current density of 10 mA cm⁻², and a low Tafel slope of 44 mV dec⁻¹ in an alkaline medium, which is the best OER performance among reported Co‐based electrocatalysts to date. Moreover, in‐depth mechanistic investigations demonstrate the active phases are the metallic Co₄N core inside with a thin cobalt oxides/hydroxides shell during the OER process. Our finding introduces a new concept to explore the design of high‐efficiency OER electrocatalysts.     

Preferential Co substitution on Ni sites in Ni–Fe oxide arrays enabling large-current-density alkaline oxygen evolution

Developing low-cost and high-activity transition metal oxide electrocatalysts for an efficient oxygen evolution reaction (OER) at a large current density is highly demanded for industrial application and remains a big challenge. Herein, we report vertically aligned cobalt doped Ni–Fe based oxide (Co–NiO/Fe₂O₃) arrays as a robust OER electrocatalyst via a simple method combining hydrothermal reaction with heat treatment. Density functional theory calculation and XRD Rietveld refinement reveal that Co preferentially occupies the Ni sites compared to Fe in the Ni–Fe based oxides. The electronic structures of the Co–NiO/Fe₂O₃ could be further optimized, leading to the improvement of the intrinsic electronic conductivity and d-band center energy level and the decrease in the reaction energy barrier of the rate-determining step for the OER, thus accelerating its OER electrocatalytic activity. The Co–NiO/Fe₂O₃ nanosheet arrays display state-of-the-art OER activities at a large current density for industrial demands among Fe–Co–Ni based oxide electrocatalysts, which only require an ultra-low overpotential of 230 mV at a high current density of 500 mA cm⁻², and exhibit superb durability at 500 mA cm⁻² for at least 300 h without obvious degradation. The Co–NiO/Fe₂O₃ nanosheet arrays also have a small Tafel slope of 33.9 mV dec⁻¹, demonstrating fast reaction kinetics. This work affords a simple and effective method to design and construct transition metal oxide based electrocatalysts for efficient water oxidation.

Co–NiO/Fe₂O₃ nanosheets featuring Co substitution on Ni sites can effectively regulate electronic structures and exhibit high OER activities with low overpotential (η₅₀₀ = 230 mV), small Tafel slope (33.9 mV dec⁻¹) and superb durability for 300 h.     

Electrodeposition of Defect-Rich Ternary NiCoFe Layered Double Hydroxides: Fine Modulation of Co3+ for Highly Efficient Oxygen Evolution Reaction

The low-cost, high-abundance and durable layered double hydroxides (LDHs) have been considered as promising electrocatalysts for oxygen evolution reaction (OER). However, the easy agglomeration of lamellar LDHs in the aqueous phase limits their practical applications. Herein, a series of ternary NiCoFe LDHs were successfully fabricated on nickel foam (NF) via a simple electrodeposition method. The as-prepared Ni(Co_0.5Fe_0.5)/NF displayed an unique nanoarray structural feature. It showed an OER overpotential of 209 mV at a current density of 10 mA cm⁻² in alkaline solution, which was superior to most systems reported so far. As evidenced by the XPS and XAFS results, such excellent performance of Ni(Co_0.5Fe_0.5)/NF was attributed to the higher Co³⁺/Co²⁺ ratio and more defects exposed, comparing with Ni(Co_0.5Fe_0.5)-bulk and Ni(Co_0.5Fe_0.5)-mono LDHs prepared by conventional coprecipitation method. Furthermore, the ratio of Co to Fe could significantly tune the Co electronic structure of Ni(Co_xFe_1-x)/NF composites (x=0.25, 0.50 and 0.75) and affect the electrocatalytic activity for OER, in which Ni(Co_0.5Fe_0.5)/NF showed the lowest energy barrier for OER rate-determining step (from O* to OOH*). This work proposes a facile method to develop high-efficiency OER electrocatalysts.     

The Effect of Interlayer Anion Grafting on Water Oxidation Electrocatalysis: A Comparative Study of Ni- and Co-Based Brucite-Type Layered Hydroxides,Layered Double Hydroxides and Hydroxynitrate Salts

The urge for carbon-neutral green energy conversion and storage technologies has invoked the resurgence of interest in applying brucite-type materials as low-cost oxygen evolution reaction (OER) electrocatalysts in basic media. Transition metal layered hydroxides belonging to the brucite-type structure family have been shown to display remarkable electrochemical activity. Recent studies on the earth-abundant Fe³⁺ containing mössbauerite and Fe³⁺ rich Co−Fe layered oxyhydroxide carbonates have suggested that grafted interlayer anions might play a key role in OER catalysis. To probe the effect of such interlayer anion grafting in brucite-like layered hydroxides, we report here a systematic study on the electrocatalytic performance of three distinct Ni and Co brucite-type layered structures, namely, (i) brucite-type M(OH)₂ without any interlayer anions, (ii) LDHs with free interlayer anions, and (iii) hydroxynitrate salts with grafted interlayer anions. The electrochemical results indeed show that grafting has an evident impact on the electronic structure and the observed OER activity. Ni- and Co-hydroxynitrate salts with grafted anions display notably earlier formations of the electrocatalytically active species. Particularly Co-hydroxynitrate salts exhibit lower overpotentials at 10 mA cm⁻² (η=0.34 V) and medium current densities of 100 mA cm⁻² (η=0.40 V) compared to the corresponding brucite-type hydroxides and LDH materials.     

Multifunctional Active-Center-Transferable Platinum/Lithium Cobalt Oxide Heterostructured Electrocatalysts towards Superior Water Splitting

Designing cost-effective and efficient electrocatalysts plays a pivotal role in advancing the development of electrochemical water splitting for hydrogen generation. Herein, multifunctional active-center-transferable heterostructured electrocatalysts, platinum/lithium cobalt oxide (Pt/LiCoO₂) composites with Pt nanoparticles (Pt NPs) anchored on LiCoO₂ nanosheets, are designed towards highly efficient water splitting. In this electrocatalyst system, the active center can be alternatively switched between Pt species and LiCoO₂ for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER), respectively. Specifically, Pt species are the active centers and LiCoO₂ acts as the co-catalyst for HER, whereas the active center transfers to LiCoO₂ and Pt turns into the co-catalyst for OER. The unique architecture of Pt/LiCoO₂ heterostructure provides abundant interfaces with favorable electronic structure and coordination environment towards optimal adsorption behavior of reaction intermediates. The 30 % Pt/LiCoO₂ heterostructured electrocatalyst delivers low overpotentials of 61 and 285 mV to achieve 10 mA cm⁻² for HER and OER in alkaline medium, respectively.     

Pomegranate‐Inspired Design of Highly Active and Durable Bifunctional Electrocatalysts for Rechargeable Metal–Air Batteries

Rational design of highly active and durable electrocatalysts for oxygen reactions is critical for rechargeable metal–air batteries. Herein, we report the design and development of composite electrocatalysts based on transition metal oxide nanocrystals embedded in a nitrogen‐doped, partially graphitized carbon framework. Benefiting from the unique pomegranate‐like architecture, the composite catalysts possess abundant active sites, strong synergetic coupling, enhanced electron transfer, and high efficiencies in the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER). The Co₃O₄‐based composite electrocatalyst exhibited a high half‐wave potential of 0.842 V for ORR, and a low overpotential of only 450 mV at the current density of 10 mA cm^?2 for OER. A single‐cell zinc–air battery was also fabricated with superior durability, holding great promise in the practical implementation of rechargeable metal–air batteries.     

A Permselective CeOx Coating To Improve the Stability of Oxygen Evolution Electrocatalysts

Highly active NiFeO_x electrocatalysts for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) suffer gradual deactivation with time owing to the loss of Fe species from the active sites into solution during catalysis. The anodic deposition of a CeO_x layer prevents the loss of such Fe species from the OER catalysts, achieving a highly stable performance. The CeO_x layer does not affect the OER activity of the catalyst underneath but exhibits unique permselectivity, allowing the permeation of OH^? and O₂ through while preventing the diffusion of redox ions through the layer to function as a selective O₂‐evolving electrode. The use of such a permselective protective layer provides a new strategy for improving the durability of electrocatalysts.     

Strong‐Coupled Cobalt Borate Nanosheets/Graphene Hybrid as Electrocatalyst for Water Oxidation Under Both Alkaline and Neutral Conditions

Developing highly active catalysts for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) is of paramount importance for designing various renewable energy storage and conversion devices. Herein, we report the synthesis of a category of Co‐Pi analogue, namely cobalt‐based borate (Co‐B_i) ultrathin nanosheets/graphene hybrid by a room‐temperature synthesis approach. Benefiting from the high surface active sites exposure yield, enhanced electron transfer capacity, and strong synergetic coupled effect, this Co‐B_i NS/G hybrid shows high catalytic activity with current density of 10 mA cm^?2 at overpotential of 290 mV and Tafel slope of 53 mV dec^?1 in alkaline medium. Moreover, Co‐B_i NS/G electrocatalysts also exhibit promising performance under neutral conditions, with a low onset potential of 235 mV and high current density of 14.4 mA cm^?2 at 1.8 V, which is the best OER performance among well‐developed Co‐based OER electrocatalysts to date. Our finding paves a way to develop highly active OER electrocatalysts.     

Direct Detection of FeVI Water Oxidation Intermediates in an Aqueous Solution

In situ detection of highly-oxidized metal intermediates is the key to identifying the active center of an oxygen evolution reaction (OER) catalyst, but it remains challenging for NiFe-based catalysts in an aqueous solution under working conditions. Here, by utilizing the dynamic stability of the Fe^VIO₄²⁻ intermediates in a self-healing water oxidation cycle of NiFe-based catalyst, the highly-oxidized Fe^VI intermediates leached into the electrolyte are directly detected by simple spectroelectrochemistry. Our results provide direct evidence that Fe is the active center in NiFe-based OER catalysts. Furthermore, it is revealed that the incorporation of Co into NiFe-based catalyst facilitates the formation of Fe^VI active species, thus enhancing the OER activity of NiCoFe-based catalyst. The insights into the mechanisms for the sustainable generation of Fe^VI active species in these NiFe-based catalysts lay the foundation for the design of more efficient and stable OER catalysts.     

In Situ Electrochemical Conversion of an Ultrathin Tannin Nickel Iron Complex Film as an Efficient Oxygen Evolution Reaction Electrocatalyst

The oxygen evolution reaction (OER) is an important half reaction in many energy conversion and storage techniques. However, the development of a low‐cost easy‐prepared OER electrocatalyst with high mass activity and rapid kinetics is still challenging. Herein, we report the facile deposition of tannin‐NiFe (TANF) complex film on carbon fiber paper (CP) as a highly efficient OER electrocatalyst. TANF gives rapid OER reaction kinetics with a very small Tafel slope of 28 mV dec^?1. The mass activity of TANF reaches 9.17×10³ Ag^?1 at an overpotential of 300 mV, which is nearly 200‐times larger than that of NiFe double layered hydroxide. Furthermore, tannic acid in TANF can be electrochemically extracted under anodic potential, leaving the inorganic composite Ni_xFe_1?xO_yH_z as the OER‐active species. This work may provide a guide to probing the electrochemical transformation and investigating the reactive species of other metal–organic complexes as heterogeneous electrocatalysts.     

Co@Co3O4 Encapsulated in Carbon Nanotube‐Grafted Nitrogen‐Doped Carbon Polyhedra as an Advanced Bifunctional Oxygen Electrode

Efficient reversible oxygen electrodes for both the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) and the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) are vitally important for various energy conversion devices, such as regenerative fuel cells and metal–air batteries. However, realization of such electrodes is impeded by insufficient activity and instability of electrocatalysts for both water splitting and oxygen reduction. We report highly active bifunctional electrocatalysts for oxygen electrodes comprising core–shell Co@Co₃O₄ nanoparticles embedded in CNT‐grafted N‐doped carbon‐polyhedra obtained by the pyrolysis of cobalt metal–organic framework (ZIF‐67) in a reductive H₂ atmosphere and subsequent controlled oxidative calcination. The catalysts afford 0.85 V reversible overvoltage in 0.1 m KOH, surpassing Pt/C, IrO₂, and RuO₂ and thus ranking them among one of the best non‐precious‐metal electrocatalysts for reversible oxygen electrodes.     

Bimetallic cobalt-nickel coordination polymer electrocatalysts for enhancing oxygen evolution reaction

Coordination polymers（CPs） have great potential to be used in electrocatalysis owing to their designable compositions and structures. It is highly challenging to apply CPs as electrocatalysts for oxygen evolution reaction（OER） on account of insufficient catalytic efficiency and relatively poor stability of current electrocatalysts. Herein, through a mixed-metal strategy, one-dimensional Co_xNi_1-x-HIPA with dual active sites was synthesized and studied for OER electrocatalyst...