• Simondson, D.; Chatti, M.; Bonke, S.A.; Tesch, M.F.; Golnak, R.; Xiao, J.; Hoogeveen, D.A.; Cherepanov, P.V.; Gardiner, J.L.; Tricoli, A.; MacFarlane, D.R.; Simonov, A.N.: Stable Acidic Water Oxidation with a Cobalt-Iron-Lead Oxide Catalyst Operating via a Cobalt-Selective Self-Healing Mechanism. Angewandte Chemie - International Edition 60 (2021), p. 15821-15826

10.1002/anie.202104123

Abstract:
The instability and expense of anodes for water electrolyzers with acidic electrolytes can be overcome through the implementation of a cobalt-iron-lead oxide electrocatalyst, [Co–Fe–Pb]Ox, that is self-healing in the presence of dissolved metal precursors. However, the latter requirement is pernicious for the membrane and especially the cathode half-reaction since Pb2+ and Fe3+ precursors poison the state-of-the-art platinum H2 evolving catalyst. To address this, we demonstrate the invariably stable operation of [Co–Fe–Pb]Ox in acidic solutions through a cobalt-selective self-healing mechanism without the addition of Pb2+ and Fe3+ and investigate the kinetics of the process. Soft X-ray absorption spectroscopy reveals that low concentrations of Co2+ in the solution stabilize the catalytically active Co(Fe) sites. The highly promising performance of this system is showcased by steady water electrooxidation at 80±1 °C and 10 mA cm−2, using a flat electrode, at an overpotential of 0.56±0.01 V on a one-week timescale.