Rare earth single atoms enhance manganese oxide's electrochemical oxygen evolution
The date of：
2024-08-29
viewed:
26
source: Tohoku University
An international group of researchers has developed a novel approach that enhances the efficiency of the oxygen evolution reaction (OER), a key process in renewable energy technologies. By introducing rare earth single atoms into manganese oxide (MnO2), the group successfully modulated oxygen electronic states, leading to unprecedented improvements in OER performance.Their findings were published in the journal Nano Energy on June 10, 2024.Transition-metal-based oxides have been widely explored for their potential as active OER catalysts. However, the capacity of these catalysts is hindered by the adsorbate evolution mechanism, which limits the effective release of oxygen (O2) during the reaction."We constructed localized asymmetric gadolinium-oxygen-manganese units on MnO2, which helps accumulate electrons at oxygen sites," notes Hao Li, corresponding author of the paper and an associate professor at the Advanced Institute for Materials Research (WPI-AIMR) at Tohoku University. "By doing this, the catalysts achieve a lower overpotential and maintain stability over time, making it a suitable alternative to traditional catalysts such as ruthenium dioxide (RuO2)."Hao Li and his colleagues employed an argon plasma-assisted strategy to introduce rare earth elements on the catalyst surface. In this strategy, argon gas is ionized, energizing and helping break the argon atoms into ions and electrons, thereby making it easier to interact with and modify materials."We have addressed the challenges associated with the adsorbate evolution mechanism that limits the performance of transition-metal-based oxides like MnO2," adds Di Zhang, co-author of the study and a Specially Appointed Assistant Professor at WPI-AIMR. "By improving the understanding of the structure-activity relationship under the lattice oxygen mechanism, the research provides a foundation for more effective catalyst design."Building on the success of this study, the group plans to extend their methodology to a variety of electrochemical reactions. This approach will help further decipher unique structure-activity correlations, ultimately contributing to the design of even more effective and high-performance electrocatalysts.
Hot News
/
Related to recommend
2026
-
07
-
24
Click on the number of times:
1
来源：ACS PublicationsHere, we present our synthesis and characterization of the LnTi3(Sb,Sn)4 (Ln: Ce, Pr, Nd, Sm, Gd) family of cleavable kagome metals. While these materials are isostructural to the L...
2026
-
07
-
24
Click on the number of times:
1
来源：ACS PublicationsScandium (Sc), as a critical rare earth element (REE), holds significant application value in advanced manufacturing, energy materials, catalysis, and other fields. However, due to ...
2026
-
07
-
23
Click on the number of times:
0
Coupling High-Throughput Density Functional Theory, Automated Experimentation, and Adaptive Experimental Design To Achieve Selective Rare-Earth Element Separations 来源：ACS PublicationsDeveloping new se...
2026
-
07
-
22
Click on the number of times:
1
来源：ACS PublicationsSeveral series of quaternary sulfides RE3M1–xSnS7 (RE = La–Nd; M = Ti–Cu, Cd) were synthesized by direct reaction of the elements at 1000 °C and their crystal structures were d...