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.

We report metallic NiPS 3 @NiOOH core−shell heterostructures as an efficient and durable electrocatalyst for the oxygen evolution reaction, exhibiting a low onset potential of 1.48 V (vs RHE) and stable performance for over 160 h. The atomically thin NiPS 3 nanosheets are obtained by exfoliation of bulk NiPS 3 in the presence of an ionic surfactant. The OER mechanism was studied by a combination of SECM, in situ Raman spectroscopy, SEM, and XPS measurements, which enabled direct observation of the formation of a NiPS 3 @ NiOOH core−shell heterostructure at the electrode interface. Hence, the active form of the catalyst is represented as NiPS 3 @NiOOH core−shell structure. Moreover, DFT calculations indicate an intrinsic metallic character of the NiPS 3 nanosheets with densities of states (DOS) similar to the bulk material. The high OER activity of the NiPS 3 nanosheets is attributed to a high density of accessible active metallic-edge and defect sites due to structural disorder, a unique NiPS 3 @ NiOOH core−shell heterostructure, where the presence of P and S modulates the surface electronic structure of Ni in NiPS 3 , thus providing excellent conductive pathway for efficient electron-transport to the NiOOH shell. These findings suggest that good size control during liquid exfoliation may be advantageously used for the formation of electrically conductive NiPS 3 @ NiOOH core−shell electrode materials for the electrochemical water oxidation.

“Single entity” measurements are central for an improved understanding of the function of nanoparticle‐based electrocatalysts without interference arising from mass transfer limitations and local changes of educt concentration or the pH value. We report a scanning electrochemical cell microscopy (SECCM) investigation of zeolitic imidazolate framework (ZIF‐67)‐derived Co−N‐doped C composite particles with respect to the oxygen evolution reaction (OER). Surmounting the surface wetting issues as well as the potential drift through the use of a non‐interfering Os complex as free‐diffusing internal redox potential standard, SECCM could be successfully applied in alkaline media. SECCM mapping reveals activity differences relative to the number of particles in the wetted area of the droplet landing zone. The turnover frequency (TOF) is 0.25 to 1.5 s−1 at potentials between 1.7 and 1.8 V vs. RHE, respectively, based on the number of Co atoms in each particle. Consistent values at locations with varying number of particles demonstrates OER performance devoid of macroscopic film effects.

Local ion activity changes in close proximity to the surface of an oxygen depolarized cathode (ODC) were measured by scanning electrochemical microscopy (SECM). While the operating ODC produces OH ions and consumes O and H O through the electrocatalytic oxygen reduction reaction (ORR), local changes in the activity of OH ions and H O are detected by means of a positioned Pt microelectrode serving as an SECM tip. Sensing at the Pt tip is based on the pH-dependent reduction of PtO and obviates the need for prior electrode modification steps. It can be used to evaluate the coordination numbers of OH ions and H O, and the method was exploited as a novel approach of catalyst activity assessment. We show that the electrochemical reaction on highly active catalysts can have a drastic influence on the reaction environment.

The reproducible fabrication of nanometre-sized carbon electrodes poses great challenges. Especially, the field of single entity electrochemistry has strict requirements regarding the geometry of these electrochemical probes. Herein, an automated setup for the fabrication of carbon nanoelectrodes based on the pyrolysis of a propane/butane gas mixture within pulled quartz capillaries by means of a moving heating coil is presented. It is shown that mere electrochemical characterisation with conventional redox mediators does not allow for a reliable assessment of the electrode's geometry and quality. Therefore, highthroughput transmission electron microscopy is used in parallel to evaluate and optimise preparation parameters. Control of the latter gives access to three different electrode types: nanopipettes, nanosamplers and nanodisks.

Effiziente und reversible Sauerstoffelektroden für die Sauerstoffreduktion (oxygenr eduction reaction, ORR) sowie die Sauerstoffentwicklung (oxygen evolution reaction, OER) sind entscheidend für die Energieumwandlung beispielsweise in regenerativen Brennstoffzellen und Metall-Luft-Batterien. Die Realisierung solcher Elektroden wird im Wesentlichen durch unzureichende Aktivität und Stabilität der Elektrokatalysatoren sowohlb ei der Wasserspaltung als auch bei der Sauerstoffreduktion erschwert.W ir berichten über hochaktive bifunktionale Elektrokatalysatoren für Sauerstoffelektroden. Die Katalysatoren bestehen aus Co@Co 3 O 4 -Kern-Schale-Nanopartikeln, die durch Pyrolyse einer Cobalt-haltigen Metall-organischen Gerüstverbindung (MOF;Z IF-67) in einer reduktiven H 2 -Atmosphäre mit anschließender kontrollierter oxidativer Kalzinierung in CNT-gekoppelte N-dotierte Kohlenstoffpolyeder eingebettet wurden.D ie Katalysatoren liefern eine reversible Gesamtüberspannung von 0.85 Vin0.1m KOH-Lçsung und übertreffen damit Pt/C,I rO 2 und RuO 2 , sodass sie zu den bislang besten nicht auf Edelmetallen basierenden Elektrokatalysatoren für reversible Sauerstoffelektroden zählen.

The selectivity of the chlorine evolution reaction over the oxygen evolution reaction during the electrolysis of aqueous NaCl is, despite being very high, still insufficient to prevent expensive separation of the formed Cl2 and O2 by means of liquefaction. We hypothesize that, by decreasing the local activity of H2O near the anode surface by substantially increasing the ionic strength of the electrolyte, the oxygen evolution reaction would be suppressed, leading concomitantly to a higher selectivity of Cl2 over O2 formation. Hence, the influence of the ionic strength on the competition between electrochemical evolution of O2 and Cl2 at dimensionally stable anodes (DSAs) was investigated. Addition of a high concentration of NaNO3, an inert electrolyte additive, increases the selectivity for chlorine at high current density, as determined by means of online electrochemical mass spectrometry and UV‐vis spectroscopy. We propose conditions in which free water is suppressed, owing to under‐coordination of the solvation shells of ions, as a general concept to modulate the selectivity of competing electrochemical reactions.

Advanced chlor‐alkali electrolysis with oxygen depolarized cathodes (ODC) requires 30 % less electrical energy than conventional hydrogen‐evolution‐based technology. Herein, we confirm that the activities of hydroxide and water govern the ODC performance and its dynamics. Experimental characterization of ODC under varying mass transfer conditions on the liquid side reveals large differences in the polarization curves as well as in potential step responses of the electrodes. Under convective transport in the liquid electrolyte, the ODC is not limited by mass transfer in its current density at j>3.9 kA m−2, whereas transport limitations are already reached at j≈1.3 kA m−2 with a stagnant electrolyte. Since gas phase conditions do not differ significantly between the measurements, these results are in contrast the common assumption that oxygen supply determines ODC performance. A dynamic model reveals the strong influence of the electrolyte mass transfer conditions on oxygen availability and thus performance. Dynamic responses of the current density to step‐wise potential changes are dominated by the mass transport of water and hydroxide ions, which is by orders of magnitude faster with convective electrolyte flow. Without convective liquid electrolyte transport, a high accumulation of hydroxide ions significantly lowers the oxygen solubility. Thus, a fast mass transport of water and hydroxide is essential for high ODC performance and needs to be ensured for technical applications. The predicted accumulation of ions is furthermore validated experimentally by means of scanning electrochemical microscopy. We also show how the outlined processes can explain the distinctively different potential step responses with and without electrolyte convection.