This paper presents a review of the redox and electrocatalytic properties of transition metal oxide electrodes, paying particular attention to the oxygen evolution reaction. Metal oxide materials may be prepared using a variety of methods, resulting in a diverse range of redox and electrocatalytic properties. Here we describe the most common synthetic routes and the important factors relevant to their preparation. The redox and electrocatalytic properties of the resulting oxide layers are ascribed to the presence of extended networks of hydrated surface bound oxymetal complexes termed surfaquo groups. This interpretation presents a possible unifying concept in water oxidation catalysis -bridging the fields of heterogeneous electrocatalysis and homogeneous molecular catalysis. In contextOver the past 50 years considerable research efforts have been devoted to the realisation of efficient, economical and renewable energy sources. Metal oxide materials have played a large part in this drive with demonstrated applications at both the research and commercial level. Their use in areas such as batteries, fuel cells and water electrolysis has resulted in the development of materials with a diverse range of structural and chemical properties. In all cases, understanding the fundamental electrochemistry of the material can be invaluable for rational design and optimisation. This review focuses on the redox, charge transport and electrocatalytic properties of transition metal oxide electrodes as they pertain to the electrolytic splitting of water. Particular emphasis is placed on the nature of the active surface which is interpreted in terms of hydrated interlinked oxymetal complexes termed surfaquo groups. In this way, the review seeks to bridge the gap between heterogeneous electrocatalysis and homogeneous molecular catalysis for water oxidation, areas of considerable modern interest and activity.

All-printed transistors consisting of interconnected networks of various types of two-dimensional nanosheets are an important goal in nanoscience. Using electrolytic gating, we demonstrate all-printed, vertically stacked transistors with graphene source, drain, and gate electrodes, a transition metal dichalcogenide channel, and a boron nitride (BN) separator, all formed from nanosheet networks. The BN network contains an ionic liquid within its porous interior that allows electrolytic gating in a solid-like structure. Nanosheet network channels display on:off ratios of up to 600, transconductances exceeding 5 millisiemens, and mobilities of >0.1 square centimeters per volt per second. Unusually, the on-currents scaled with network thickness and volumetric capacitance. In contrast to other devices with comparable mobility, large capacitances, while hindering switching speeds, allow these devices to carry higher currents at relatively low drive voltages.

The redox switching reaction and the oxygen evolution reaction at multi-cycled nickel oxy-hydroxide films in aqueous alkaline solution are discussed. The hydrous oxide is considered as a porous assembly of interlinked octahedrally coordinated anionic metal oxyhydroxide surfaquo complexes which form an open network structure. The latter contains considerable quantities of water molecules which facilitate hydroxide ion discharge at the metal site during active oxygen evolution. The dynamics of redox switching has been quantified in terms of a diffusive frequency using the Laviron-Aoki diffusion model. Steady state Tafel plot analysis has been used to elucidate the kinetics and mechanism of oxygen evolution with slopes of ca. 60 mVdec −1 and ca. 120 mVdec −1 at low and high overpotentials respectively, whereas the reaction order with respect to hydroxide ion activity remains invariant at ca. 1.0 as the potential is increased. These observations are rationalized in terms of a kinetic scheme involving surfaquo groups.

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