Tailoring the d‐Band Centers of Perovskite Oxides for Electrochemical Ozone Production

Abstract

Ozone is one of the most powerful oxidants for disinfection and sterilization. Water electrolysis represents an attractive method for electrochemical ozone production (EOP). Looking for highly active and cost‐effective alternative electrocatalysts to replace toxic PbO2 on the anode of the EOP electrolyzer is important. Here, a series of scalable, low‐toxicity ABO3 perovskite electrocatalysts was successfully synthesized, and their EOP performances were evaluated on the basis of their d‐band center values. Experimental results show that the gaseous ozone output of PrCoO3 is almost 1.3 times higher compared with that of commercial β‐PbO2. Theoretical calculations indicate that the volcanic‐type EOP performance of ABO3 can be attributed to the d‐band center of Co modified by lanthanide elements. Moreover, PrCoO3 demonstrates a remarkable performance in the electrodegradation of various organic pesticides and antibiotics, revealing potential application in advanced oxidation processes.