Surface amorphization enables robust catalyst for industrial-level low-potential electrooxidation reactions

Abstract Electrooxidation of pollutants at potentials near or below the thermodynamic hydrogen evolution potential offers transformative opportunities for energy-efficient pollutant valorization and diverse energy devices. However, existing catalysts suffer from rapid deactivation due to the inevitable overoxidation. Herein, we present an amorphous phosphorus-doped CoFe₂O₄ catalyst that achieves industrial-level current densities (1 A cm⁻²) at ultralow potentials (0.06, 0.65, and −0.17 V vs. reversible hydrogen electrode) for hydrazine, sulfion, and borohydride electrooxidation, respectively, along with 400-hour stability at 300 mA cm⁻² in a hydrazine-assisted electrolyzer. Mechanistic studies reveal electron transfer from Co-P ligands to Co-O ligands, which enhances the involvement of Co-O ligands in low-potential electrooxidation while protecting Co-P ligands from overoxidation. Furthermore, more positive charges on Co centers lower the activation barrier for such pollutant electrooxidation. This work opens a paradigm for designing robust electrocatalysts by decoupling catalytic activity from oxidative deactivation.

Abstract licence: CC BY-NC-ND

40 more references, whose wording the paper’s licence keeps private.

A person counts once a day per paper. We keep no cookie and no address: a reader is a hash that changes every day. Any month under five reads shows no number.