The Effect of Iron Impurities on Transition Metal Catalysts for the Oxygen Evolution Reaction in Alkaline Environment: Activity Mediators or Active Sites?
Ioannis Spanos, Justus Masa, Aleksandar R. Žeradjanin, Robert Schlögl
Abstract
Abstract There is an ongoing debate on elucidating the actual role of Fe impurities in alkaline water electrolysis, acting either as reactivity mediators or as co-catalysts through synergistic interaction with the main catalyst material. This perspective summarizes the most prominent oxygen evolution reaction (OER) mechanisms mostly for Ni-based oxides as model transition metal catalysts and highlights the effect of Fe incorporation on the catalyst surface in the form of impurities originating from the electrolyte or co-precipitated in the catalyst lattice, in modulating the OER reaction kinetics, mechanism and stability. Graphic Abstract
Topics & Concepts
CatalysisChemistryTransition metalOrganometallic chemistryInorganic chemistryImpurityOxygen evolutionElectrolyteElectrolysisOxygenReactivity (psychology)MetalPhysical chemistryOrganic chemistryElectrodeMedicineElectrochemistryPathologyAlternative medicineElectrocatalysts for Energy ConversionAdvanced battery technologies researchElectrochemical Analysis and Applications