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Activating lattice oxygen by sulfate anchoring via Fe3+ etching towards highly efficient and stable water/seawater oxidation

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  • Wang, Jianmin
  • Zhao, Hongyu
  • Zhang, Hao
  • Huang, Ruoyu
  • Zheng, Shanshan
  • Li, Haijin
  • Cai, Jiajia
  • Li, Yongtao
  • Liu, Xiaofang
  • Deng, Xiaolong

Abstract

Electrochemical oxygen evolution reaction (OER) plays a critical role in many sustainable energy conversion processes. Nevertheless, the intrinsically sluggish kinetics limited by the multistep proton-coupled electron transfer processes of the OER have dramatically restricted the energy conversion efficiency. Conventionally, the lattice-oxygen-mediated mechanism (LOM) exhibits a lower thermodynamic barrier than that of the absorbate evolution mechanism (AEM). However, the promoted intrinsic activity is compromised by low stability due to the migration of lattice oxygen during OER. Herein, a rapid Fe3+ etching method was employed to construct NiFeOOH-SO4/Ni3S2/NF catalytic materials with a large amount of anchored SO42−. Systematic experiments and characterizations demonstrate that the in-situ generated SO42− not only facilitates the kinetics of the electrode via activating lattice oxygen, leading to improved intrinsic OER activity and durability in alkaline seawater. The as-obtained NiFeOOH-SO4/Ni3S2/NF exhibited excellent OER performance with a low overpotential of only 206 mV at 10 mA cm−2 and provided stable catalytic performance for 200 h at 100 mA cm−2. This work may provide new insight into elucidating the OER activity enhancement mechanism and improvement stability by the oxyanion groups in alkaline seawater.

Suggested Citation

  • Wang, Jianmin & Zhao, Hongyu & Zhang, Hao & Huang, Ruoyu & Zheng, Shanshan & Li, Haijin & Cai, Jiajia & Li, Yongtao & Liu, Xiaofang & Deng, Xiaolong, 2025. "Activating lattice oxygen by sulfate anchoring via Fe3+ etching towards highly efficient and stable water/seawater oxidation," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 242(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:renene:v:242:y:2025:i:c:s0960148125000473
    DOI: 10.1016/j.renene.2025.122385
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    References listed on IDEAS

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