What is it about?
The oxygen evolution reaction (OER) is a hot topic in energy conversion technologies like metal-air batteries and water-splitting. A record-low OER overpotential (~150 mV at 10 mA/cm2) for oxide catalysts is reported using a single phase pyrochlore oxide, Hg2Ru2O7. Even after 1000 OER cycles, Hg2Ru2O7 sustains the overpotential of ~150 mV. The outstanding OER activity is based on the electronic structure with a wide metallic band sandwiched by localized d-bands.
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Why is it important?
Although there have been many reports on OER catalysts with high current densities, their overpotentials are always greater than 250 mV at 10 mA/cm2. Therefore, a 100 mV improvement in OER overpotential means a significant reduction of energy loss. The electronic structure of Hg2Ru2O7 is a promising prototype for achieving highly efficient metal-air batteries and water-splitting systems.
Perspectives
Hg2Ru2O7 gives new insight about the strong link between electronic structure and OER activity, suggesting a promising principle for designing OER catalysts for highly efficient rechargeable metal-air batteries and water splitting systems. As a new direction, metallic compounds with unique electronic structures could greatly advance the highly efficient OER catalysts.
Shigeto Hirai
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Non-Fermi Liquids as Highly Active Oxygen Evolution Reaction Catalysts, Advanced Science, June 2017, Wiley,
DOI: 10.1002/advs.201700176.
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