Photocatalytic water oxidation is a crucial counter-electrode reaction in the process of photoelectrochemical energy conversion.Despite its importance,challenges remain in effectively and sustainably converting water ...Photocatalytic water oxidation is a crucial counter-electrode reaction in the process of photoelectrochemical energy conversion.Despite its importance,challenges remain in effectively and sustainably converting water to oxygen,particularly with readily available and inexpensive electrolyte solutions such as seawater.While metal oxide materials have demonstrated their advantages in promoting efficiency by reducing overpotential and improving light utilization,stability remains limited by corrosion in multicomponent seawater.In this paper,we reviewed the relationship between four basic concepts including photoelectrochemistry,metal oxide,water oxidation and seawater to better understand the challenges and opportunities in photoelectrochemical(PEC)seawater oxidation.To overcome these challenges,the advances in material design,interfacial modification,local environment control and reactor design have been further reviewed to benefit the industrial PEC seawater oxidation.Noticeably,we demonstrate engineered layered metal oxide electrodes and cell structures that enable powerful and stable seawater oxidation.We also outline and advise on the future direction in this area.展开更多
BiVO_(4)is one of the most promising photoanode materials for photoelectrochemical(PEC)solar energy conversion,but it still suffers from poor photocurrent density due to insufficient light‐harvesting efficiency(LHE),...BiVO_(4)is one of the most promising photoanode materials for photoelectrochemical(PEC)solar energy conversion,but it still suffers from poor photocurrent density due to insufficient light‐harvesting efficiency(LHE),weak photogenerated charge separation efficiency(Φ_(Sep)),and low water oxidation efficiency(Φ_(OX)).Herein,we tackle these challenges of the BiVO_(4)photoanodes using systematic engineering,including catalysis engineering,bandgap engineering,and morphology engineering.In particular,we deposit a NiCoO_(x)layer onto the BiVO_(4)photoanode as the oxygen evolution catalyst to enhance theΦ_(OX)of Fe‐g‐C_(3)N_(4)/BiVO_(4)for PEC water oxidation,and incorporate Fe‐doped graphite‐phase C_(3)N_(4)(Fe‐g‐C_(3)N_(4))into the BiVO_(4)photoanode to optimize the bandgap and surface areas to subsequently expand the light absorption range of the photoanode from 530 to 690 nm,increase the LHE andΦ_(Sep),and further improve the oxygen evolution reaction activity of the NiCoO_(x)catalytic layer.Consequently,the maximum photocurrent density of the as‐prepared NiCoO_(x)/Fe‐g‐C_(3)N_(4)/BiVO_(4)is remarkably boosted from 4.6 to 7.4 mA cm^(−2).This work suggests that the proposed systematic engineering strategy is exceptionally promising for improving LHE,Φ_(Sep),andΦ_(OX)of BiVO_(4)‐based photoanodes,which will substantially benefit the design,preparation,and large‐scale application of next‐generation high‐performance photoanodes.展开更多
Electro-copolymerized film containing ruthenium complexes as electron-transfer(or redox)mediators and water-oxidation catalysts by an oxidative copolymerization method is presented.The addition of the redox mediator s...Electro-copolymerized film containing ruthenium complexes as electron-transfer(or redox)mediators and water-oxidation catalysts by an oxidative copolymerization method is presented.The addition of the redox mediator significantly improved the electrocatalytic water-oxidation activity and reduced the overpotential to 220 mV.The prepared electrode showed a water-oxidation catalytic rate constant kobs of 31.7 s^(-1)and an initial turnover frequency of 1.01 s^(-1)in 1000 s by potential electrolysis at 1.7 V applied bias vs NHE(normal hydrogen electrode).The kinetic isotope effect study suggests that the catalytic water oxidation reaction on the electrode surface occurs via a bimolecular coupling mechanism.展开更多
Inspired by the function of crucial components in photosystemⅡ(PSⅡ),electrochemical and dyesensitized photoelectrochemical(DSPEC)water oxidation devices were constructed by the selfassembly of well-designed amphipat...Inspired by the function of crucial components in photosystemⅡ(PSⅡ),electrochemical and dyesensitized photoelectrochemical(DSPEC)water oxidation devices were constructed by the selfassembly of well-designed amphipathic Ru(bda)-based catalysts(bda=2,2'-bipyrdine-6,6'-dicarbonoxyl acid)and aliphatic chain decorated electrode surfaces,forming lipid bilayer membrane(LBM)-like structures.The Ru(bda)catalysts on electrode-supported LBM films demonstrated remarkable water oxidation performance with different O-O formation mechanisms.However,compared to the slow charge transfer process,the O-O formation pathways did not determine the PEC water oxidation efficiency of the dyesensitized photoanodes,and the different reaction rates for similar catalysts with different catalytic paths did not determine the PEC performance of the DSPECs.Instead,charge transfer plays a decisive role in the PEC water oxidation rate.When an indolo[3,2-b]carbazole derivative was introduced between the Ru(bda)catalysts and aliphatic chain-modified photosensitizer in LBM films,serving as a charge transfer mediator for the tyrosine-histidine pair in PSⅡ,the PEC water oxidation performance of the corresponding photoanodes was dramatically enhanced.展开更多
The oxygen evolution reaction(OER)activity of single-atom catalysts(SACs)is closely related to the coordination environment of the active site.Oxygencoordinated atomic metal species bring about unique features beyond ...The oxygen evolution reaction(OER)activity of single-atom catalysts(SACs)is closely related to the coordination environment of the active site.Oxygencoordinated atomic metal species bring about unique features beyond nitrogen-coordinated atomic metal species due to the fact that the M-O bond is weaker than the M-N bond.Herein,a series of metal-oxygen-carbon structured low-nucleus clusters(LNCs)are successfully anchored on the surface of multiwalled carbon nanotubes(M-MWCNTs,M=Ni,Co,or Fe)through a foolproof low-temperature gas transfer(300℃)method without any further treatment.The morphology and coordination configuration of the LNCs at the atomic level were confirmed by comprehensive characterizations.The synthetic Ni-MWCNTs electrocatalyst features excellent OER activity and stability under alkaline conditions,transcending the performances of Co-MWCNTs,Fe-MWCNTs and RuO_(2).Density functional theory calculations reveal that the moderate oxidation of low-nucleus Ni clusters changes the unoccupied orbital of Ni atoms,thereby lowering the energy barrier of the OER rate-limiting step and making the OER process more energy-efficient.This study demonstrates a novel versatile platform for large-scale manufacturing of oxygen-coordinated LNC catalysts.展开更多
Lead(Pb)-free halide perovskites have recently attracted increasing attention as potential catalysts for CO_(2) photoreduction to CO due to their potential to capture solar energy and drive catalytic reaction.However,...Lead(Pb)-free halide perovskites have recently attracted increasing attention as potential catalysts for CO_(2) photoreduction to CO due to their potential to capture solar energy and drive catalytic reaction.However,issues of the poor charge transfer still remain one of the main obstacles limiting their performance due to the overwhelming radiative and nonradiative charge-carrier recombination losses.Herein,Pb-free Sb-alloyed all-inorganic quadruple perovskite Cs_(4)Mn(Bi_(1-x)Sb_(x))_(2)Cl_(12)(0≤x≤1)is synthesized as efficient photocatalyst.By Sb alloying,the undesired relaxation of photogenerated electrons from conduction band to emission centers of[MnCl6]^(4-)is greatly suppressed,resulting in a weakened PL emission and enhanced charge transfer for photocatalyst.The ensuing Cs_(4)Mn(Bi_(1-x)Sb_(x))_(2)Cl_(12) photocatalyst accomplishes efficient conversion of CO_(2)into CO,accompanied by a surprising production of H_(2)O_(2),a high valueadded product associated with water oxidation.By optimizing Sb^(3+) concentration,a high CO evolution rate of 35.1μmol g^(-1)h^(-1)is achieved,superior to most other Pb and Pb-free halide perovskites.Our findings provide new insights into the mixed-cation alloying strategies for improved photocatalytic performance of Pb-free perovskites and shed light on the rational design of robust band structure toward efficient energy transfer.展开更多
Flower-like 3D CuO microspheres were synthesized and used to photo-catalyze water oxidation under visible light.The structure of the CuO microspheres was characterized by scanning electron microscopy,transmission elec...Flower-like 3D CuO microspheres were synthesized and used to photo-catalyze water oxidation under visible light.The structure of the CuO microspheres was characterized by scanning electron microscopy,transmission electron microscopy,infrared,powder X-ray diffraction,electron dispersive spectroscopy,Raman and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy(XPS).This is the first time that a copper oxide was demonstrated as a photocatalytic water oxidation catalyst under near neutral conditions.The catalytic activity of CuO microspheres in borate buffer shows the best performance with O2 yield of 11.5%.No change in the surface properties of CuO before and after the photocatalytic reaction was seen by XPS,which showed good catalyst stability.A photocatalytic water oxidation reaction mechanism catalyzed by the CuO microspheres was proposed.展开更多
The destruction of toxic organic wastewaters from munitions demilitarization and complex industrial chemical clearly becomes an overwhelming problem if left to conventional treatment processes. Two options, incinerati...The destruction of toxic organic wastewaters from munitions demilitarization and complex industrial chemical clearly becomes an overwhelming problem if left to conventional treatment processes. Two options, incineration and supercritical water oxidation (SCWO), exist for the complete destruction of toxic organic wastewaters. Incinerator has associated problems such as very high cost and public resentment; on the other hand, SCWO has proved to be a very promising method for the treatment of many different wastewaters with extremely efficient organic waste destruction 99.99% with none of the emissions associated with incineration. In this review, the concepts of SCWO, result and present perspectives of application, and industrial status of SCWO are critically examined and discussed.展开更多
The 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT) is a potential carcinogens and TNT contaminated wastewater, which could not be effectively disposed with conventional treatments. The supercritical water oxidation (SCWO) to treat T...The 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT) is a potential carcinogens and TNT contaminated wastewater, which could not be effectively disposed with conventional treatments. The supercritical water oxidation (SCWO) to treat TNT contaminated wastewater was studied in this article, The TNT concentration in wastewater was measured by high-performance liquid chromatograph (HPLC) and the degraded intermediates were analyzed using GC-MS. The results showed that SCWO could degrade TNT efficiently in the presence of oxygen. The reaction temperature, pressure, residence time and oxygen excess were the main contributing factors in the process. The decomposition of TNT was accelerated as the temperature or residence time increased. At 550℃, 24 MPa, 120 s and oxygen excess 300%, TNT removal rate could exceed 99.9%. Partial oxidation occured in SCWO without oxygen. It was concluded that supercritical water was a good solvent and had excellent oxidation capability in the existence of oxygen. The main intermediates of TNT during SCWO included toluene, 1,3,5-trinitrobenzene, nitrophenol, naphthalene, fluorenone, dibutyl phthalate, alkanes and several dimers based on the intermediate analysis. Some side reactions, such as coupled reaction, hydrolysis reaction and isomerization reaction may take place simultaneously when TNT was oxidized by SCWO.展开更多
Some aromatic compounds, phenol, aniline and nitrobenzene, were oxidized in supercritical water. It was experimentally found that the chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal efficiency of these organic compounds can achi...Some aromatic compounds, phenol, aniline and nitrobenzene, were oxidized in supercritical water. It was experimentally found that the chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal efficiency of these organic compounds can achieve a high level more than 90% in a short residence time at temperatures high enough. As temperature, pressure and residence time increase, the COD removal efficiencies of the organic compounds would all increase. It is also found that temperature and residence time offer greater influences on the oxidation process than pressure. The difficulty in oxidizing these three compounds is in the order of nitrobenzene > aniline > Phenol. In addition, it is extremely difficult to oxidize aniline and nitrobenzene to CO2 and H2O at the temperature lower than 873.15 K and 923.15 K, respectively. Only at the temperature higher than 873.15 K and 923.15 K, respectively, the COD removal efficiencies of 90% of aniline and nitrobenzene can be achieved.展开更多
The realization of efficient oxygen evolution reaction(OER) is critical to the development of multiple sustainable energy conversion and storage technologies, especially hydrogen production via water electrolysis. To ...The realization of efficient oxygen evolution reaction(OER) is critical to the development of multiple sustainable energy conversion and storage technologies, especially hydrogen production via water electrolysis. To achieve the massive application of hydrogen energy and mass-scale hydrogen production from water splitting drives the pursuit of competent precious-metal-free electrocatalysts in acidic media, where the hydrogen evolution reaction(HER) is more facilitated. However, the development of high-efficient and acid-stable OER electrocatalysts, which are robust to function stably at high oxidation potentials in the acidic electrolyte, remains a great challenge. This article contributes a focused, perceptive review of the up-to-date approaches toward this emerging research field. The OER reaction mechanism and fundamental requirements for oxygen evolution electrocatalysts in acid are introduced. Then the progress and new discoveries of precious-metal-free active materials and design concepts with regard to the improvement of the intrinsic OER activity are discussed. Finally, the existing scientific challenges and the outlooks for future research directions to the fabrication of emerging, earth-abundant OER electrocatalysts in acid are pointed out.展开更多
BiVO_(4) has been attracting a lot of interest in photoelectrochemical (PEC) water oxidation due to its efficient solar absorption and appropriate band positions.So far,sluggish water oxidation kinetics and fast photo...BiVO_(4) has been attracting a lot of interest in photoelectrochemical (PEC) water oxidation due to its efficient solar absorption and appropriate band positions.So far,sluggish water oxidation kinetics and fast photogenerated charge recombination still hinder the PEC performance ofBiVO_(4) .In this study,a novel PEC photoanode was designed by depositing ultrathin FeOOH nanolayers on the surface of nanoporousBiVO_(4) electrode,followed by modification with a cobaloxime (Co(dmgH)_(2)(4-COOH-py)Cl) molecular cocatalyst.Under irradiation of a 100 mW cm^(-2)(AM 1.5G) Xe lamp,the photocurrent density of the cobaloxime/FeOOH/BiVO_(4) composite photoanode reached 5.1 mA cm^(-2)at 1.23 V vs.RHE in 1.0 M potassium borate buffer solution (pH=9.0).The onset potential of the optimal cobaloxime/FeOOH/BiVO_(4) photoanode exhibited a 460 m V cathodic shift relative to bareBiVO_(4) .In addition,the surface charge injection efficiency of the composite photoanode reached~80%at 1.23 V vs.RHE and the incident photon-to-current efficiency (IPCE) reached~88%at 420 nm.展开更多
Cobalt-based oxides,with high abundance,good stability and excellent catalytic performance,are regarded as promising photocatalysts for artificial photosynthetic systems to alleviate foreseeable energy shortages and g...Cobalt-based oxides,with high abundance,good stability and excellent catalytic performance,are regarded as promising photocatalysts for artificial photosynthetic systems to alleviate foreseeable energy shortages and global warming.Herein,for the first time,a series of novel spongy porous CDs@CoOx materials were synthesized to act as an efficient and stable bifunctional photocatalyst for water oxidation and CO2 reduction.Notably,the preparation temperatures visibly influence the morphologies and photocatalytic performances of the CDs@CoOx.Under the optimal conditions,a maximum O2 yield of 40.4% and pretty apparent quantum efficiency(AQE)of 58.6% at 460 nm were obtained over CDs@CoOx-300 for water oxidation.Similarly,the optimized sample CDs@CoOx-300 manifests significant enhancement on the CO2-to-CO conversion with a high selectivity of 89.3% and CO generation rate of 8.1μmol/h,which is superior to most previous cobalt-based catalysts for CO2 reduction.The composite CDs@CoOx-300 not only exposes more active sites but also facilitates electron transport,which results in excellent photocatalytic activity.In addition,the boosted photocatalytic behavior is attributed to the synergistic effect between CoOx and CDs,which was verified by the photocatalytic activity control experiments and electrochemical characterization.The work offers a novel strategy to fabricate a high performance bifunctional photocatalyst for water oxidation and CO2 reduction.展开更多
Water oxidation is significant in both natural and artificial photosynthesis.In nature,water oxidation occurs at the oxygen‐evolving center of photosystem II,and leads to the generation of oxygen,protons,and electron...Water oxidation is significant in both natural and artificial photosynthesis.In nature,water oxidation occurs at the oxygen‐evolving center of photosystem II,and leads to the generation of oxygen,protons,and electrons.The last two are used for fixation of carbon dioxide to give carbohydrates.In artificial processes,the coupling of water oxidation to evolve O2and water reduction to evolve H2is known as water splitting,which is an attractive method for solar energy conversion and storage.Because water oxidation is a thermodynamically uphill reaction and is kinetically slow,this reaction causes a bottleneck in large‐scale water splitting.As a consequence,the development of new and efficient water oxidation catalysts(WOCs)has attracted extensive attention.Recent efforts have identified a variety of mononuclear earth‐abundant transition‐metal complexes as active and stable molecular WOCs.This review article summarizes recent progress in research on mononuclear catalysts that are based on first‐row transition‐metal elements,namely manganese,iron,cobalt,nickel,and copper.Particular attention is paid to catalytic mechanisms and the key O?O bond formation steps.This information is critical for designing new catalysts that are highly efficient and stable.展开更多
Developing efficient water oxidation catalysts(WOCs)with earth‐abundant elements still remains a challenging task for artificial photosynthesis.Iron‐based WOC is a promising candidate because it is economically chea...Developing efficient water oxidation catalysts(WOCs)with earth‐abundant elements still remains a challenging task for artificial photosynthesis.Iron‐based WOC is a promising candidate because it is economically cheap,little toxic and environmentally friendly.In this study,we found that the catalytic water oxidation activity on amorphous iron‐based oxide/hydroxide(FeOx)can be decreased by an order of magnitude after the dehydration process at room temperature.Thermogravimetric analysis,XRD and Raman results indicated that the dehydration process of FeOx at room temperature causes the almost completely loss of water molecule with no bulk structural changes.Based on this finding,we prepared hydrated ultrasmall(ca.2.2 nm)FeOx nanoparticles of amorphous feature,which turns out to be extremely active as WOC with turnover frequency(TOF)up to 9.3 s^-1 in the photocatalytic Ru(bpy)3^2+‐Na2S2O8 system.Our findings suggest that future design of active iron‐based oxides as WOCs requires the consideration of their hydration status.展开更多
The development of stable and efficient visible light-absorbing oxide-based semiconductor photocatalysts is a desirable task for solar water splitting applications.Recently,we proposed that the low photocurrent densit...The development of stable and efficient visible light-absorbing oxide-based semiconductor photocatalysts is a desirable task for solar water splitting applications.Recently,we proposed that the low photocurrent density in film-based BiFeO_(3)(BFO)is due to charge recombination at the interface of the domain walls,which could be largely reduced in particulate photocatalyst systems.To demonstrate this hypothesis,in this work we synthesized particulate BFO and Mn-doped BiFeO_(3)(Mn-BFO)by the sol-gel method.Photocatalytic water oxidation tests showed that pure BFO had an intrinsic photocatalytic oxygen evolution reaction(OER)activity of 70μmol h^(-1) g^(-1),while BFO-2,with an optimum amount of Mn doping(0.05%),showed an OER activity of 255μmol h^(-1) g^(-1) under visible light(λ≥420 nm)irradiation.The bandgap of Mn-doped BFO could be reduced from 2.1 to 1.36 eV by varying the amount of Mn doping.Density functional theory(DFT)calculations suggested that surface Fe(rather than Mn)species serve as the active sites for water oxidation,because the overpotential for water oxidation on Fe species after Mn doping is 0.51 V,which is the lowest value measured for the different Fe and Mn species examined in this study.The improved photocatalytic water oxidation activity of Mn-BFO is ascribed to the synergistic effect of the bandgap narrowing,which increases the absorption of visible light,reduces the activation energy of water oxidation,and inhibits the recombination of photogenerated charges.This work demonstrates that Mn doping is an effective strategy to enhance the intrinsic photocatalytic water oxidation activity of particulate ferroelectric BFO photocatalysts.展开更多
The sluggish kinetics for water oxidation is recognized as one of the major problems for the unsatisfied photoelectrochemical(PEC) performance. Herein, we developed a feasible strategy based on in-situ selective surfa...The sluggish kinetics for water oxidation is recognized as one of the major problems for the unsatisfied photoelectrochemical(PEC) performance. Herein, we developed a feasible strategy based on in-situ selective surface cation exchange, for activating surface water oxidation reactivity toward boosted PEC water oxidation of BiVO_(4) photoanodes with fundamentally improved surface charge transfer. The asconstructed Co/BiVO_(4) photoanodes exhibit 2.6 times increase in photocurrent density with superior stability, in comparison to those of pristine counterpart. Moreover, the faradaic efficiency of as-fabricated photoanode can be up to ~ 95% at 1.23 V(vs. RHE). The unique selective replacement of Bi by Co on the surface could modify the electronic structure of BiVO_(4) with reduced energy barrier of the deprotonation of OH^(+) to O, thus favoring the overall excellent PEC performance of Co/BiVO_(4) photoanode.展开更多
A molecular [Ru(bda)]-type(bda = 2,2’-bipyridine-6,6’-dicarboxylate) water oxidation catalyst with 4-vinylpyridine as the axial ligand(Complex 1) was immobilized or co-immobilized with 1-(trifluoromethyl)-4-vinylben...A molecular [Ru(bda)]-type(bda = 2,2’-bipyridine-6,6’-dicarboxylate) water oxidation catalyst with 4-vinylpyridine as the axial ligand(Complex 1) was immobilized or co-immobilized with 1-(trifluoromethyl)-4-vinylbenzene(3 F) or styrene(St) blocking units on the surface of glassy carbon(GC) electrodes by electrochemical polymerization, in order to prepare the corresponding poly-1@GC, poly-1+P3 F@GC, and poly-1+PSt@GC functional electrodes. Kinetic measurements of the electrode surface reaction revealed that [Ru(bda)] triggers the O–O bond formation via(1) the radical coupling interaction between the two metallo-oxyl radicals(I2 M) in the homo-coupling polymer(poly-1), and(2) the water nucleophilic attack(WNA) pathway in poly-1+P3 F and poly-1+PSt copolymers. The comparison of the three electrodes revealed that the second coordination sphere of the water oxidation catalysts plays vital roles in stabilizing their reaction intermediates, tuning the O–O bond formation pathways and improving the water oxidation reaction kinetics without changing the first coordination structures.展开更多
Developing highly active,cost-effective,and environmental friendly oxygen evolution reaction(OER)electrocatalysts facilitates various(photo)electrochemical processes.In this work,Fe3N nanoparticles encapsulated into N...Developing highly active,cost-effective,and environmental friendly oxygen evolution reaction(OER)electrocatalysts facilitates various(photo)electrochemical processes.In this work,Fe3N nanoparticles encapsulated into N-doped graphene nanoshells(Fe_(3)N@NG)as OER electrocatalysts in alkaline media were reported.Both the experimental and theoretical comparison between Fe_(3) N@NG and Fe_(3)N/NG,specifically including in situ Mossbauer analyses,demonstrated that the NG nanoshells improved interfacial electron transfer process from Fe_(3)N to NG to form high-valence Fe^(4+)ions(Fe^(4+)@NG),thus modifying electronic properties of the outer NG shells and subsequently electron transfer from oxygen intermediate to NG nanoshells for OER catalytic process.Meanwhile,the NG nanoshells also protected Fe-based cores from forming OER inactive and insulated Fe_(2)O_(3),leading to high OER stability.As a result,the as-formed Fe^(4+)@NG shows one of the highest electrocatalytic efficiency among reported Fe-based OER electrocatalysts,which can as well highly improve the photoelectrochemical water oxidation when used as the cocatalysts for the Fe_(2)O_(3) nanoarray photoanode.展开更多
Surface engineering of active materials to generate desired energy state is critical to fabricate high-performance heterogeneous catalysts.However, its realization in a controllable level remains challenging. Using ox...Surface engineering of active materials to generate desired energy state is critical to fabricate high-performance heterogeneous catalysts.However, its realization in a controllable level remains challenging. Using oxygen evolution reaction(OER) as a model reaction, we report a surface-mediated Fe deposition strategy to electronically tailor surface energy states of porous Co_(3)O_(4)(Fe-pCo_(3)O_(4)) for enhanced activity towards OER. The Fe-pCo_(3)O_(4) exhibits a low overpotential of 280 mV to reach an OER current density of 100 mA cm^(-2), and a fast-kinetic behavior with a low Tafel slop of 58.2 mV dec^(-1), outperforming Co_(3)O_(4)-based OER catalysts recently reported and also the noble IrO_(2). The engineered material retains 100% of its original activity after operating at an overpotential of 350 m V for 100 h. A combination of theoretical calculations and experimental results finds out that the surface doped Fe promotes a high energy state and desired coordination environment in the near surface region, which enables optimized OER intermediates binding and favorably changes the rate-determining step.展开更多
基金supported by the National Key Research and Development Program of China (2022YFB3803600)the National Natural Science Foundation of China (22302067)+2 种基金the Innovation Program of Shanghai Municipal Education Commission (2021-0107-00-02-E00106)the Science and Technology Commission of Shanghai Municipality (22230780200,20DZ2250400)Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities (222201717003)。
文摘Photocatalytic water oxidation is a crucial counter-electrode reaction in the process of photoelectrochemical energy conversion.Despite its importance,challenges remain in effectively and sustainably converting water to oxygen,particularly with readily available and inexpensive electrolyte solutions such as seawater.While metal oxide materials have demonstrated their advantages in promoting efficiency by reducing overpotential and improving light utilization,stability remains limited by corrosion in multicomponent seawater.In this paper,we reviewed the relationship between four basic concepts including photoelectrochemistry,metal oxide,water oxidation and seawater to better understand the challenges and opportunities in photoelectrochemical(PEC)seawater oxidation.To overcome these challenges,the advances in material design,interfacial modification,local environment control and reactor design have been further reviewed to benefit the industrial PEC seawater oxidation.Noticeably,we demonstrate engineered layered metal oxide electrodes and cell structures that enable powerful and stable seawater oxidation.We also outline and advise on the future direction in this area.
基金Natural Science Foundation of China,Grant/Award Number:22108042Guangzhou(202201020147)。
文摘BiVO_(4)is one of the most promising photoanode materials for photoelectrochemical(PEC)solar energy conversion,but it still suffers from poor photocurrent density due to insufficient light‐harvesting efficiency(LHE),weak photogenerated charge separation efficiency(Φ_(Sep)),and low water oxidation efficiency(Φ_(OX)).Herein,we tackle these challenges of the BiVO_(4)photoanodes using systematic engineering,including catalysis engineering,bandgap engineering,and morphology engineering.In particular,we deposit a NiCoO_(x)layer onto the BiVO_(4)photoanode as the oxygen evolution catalyst to enhance theΦ_(OX)of Fe‐g‐C_(3)N_(4)/BiVO_(4)for PEC water oxidation,and incorporate Fe‐doped graphite‐phase C_(3)N_(4)(Fe‐g‐C_(3)N_(4))into the BiVO_(4)photoanode to optimize the bandgap and surface areas to subsequently expand the light absorption range of the photoanode from 530 to 690 nm,increase the LHE andΦ_(Sep),and further improve the oxygen evolution reaction activity of the NiCoO_(x)catalytic layer.Consequently,the maximum photocurrent density of the as‐prepared NiCoO_(x)/Fe‐g‐C_(3)N_(4)/BiVO_(4)is remarkably boosted from 4.6 to 7.4 mA cm^(−2).This work suggests that the proposed systematic engineering strategy is exceptionally promising for improving LHE,Φ_(Sep),andΦ_(OX)of BiVO_(4)‐based photoanodes,which will substantially benefit the design,preparation,and large‐scale application of next‐generation high‐performance photoanodes.
文摘Electro-copolymerized film containing ruthenium complexes as electron-transfer(or redox)mediators and water-oxidation catalysts by an oxidative copolymerization method is presented.The addition of the redox mediator significantly improved the electrocatalytic water-oxidation activity and reduced the overpotential to 220 mV.The prepared electrode showed a water-oxidation catalytic rate constant kobs of 31.7 s^(-1)and an initial turnover frequency of 1.01 s^(-1)in 1000 s by potential electrolysis at 1.7 V applied bias vs NHE(normal hydrogen electrode).The kinetic isotope effect study suggests that the catalytic water oxidation reaction on the electrode surface occurs via a bimolecular coupling mechanism.
基金conducted by the Fundamental Research Center of Artificial Photosynthesis(FReCAP)financially supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(22172011 and 22088102)+1 种基金the National Key R&D Program of China(2022YFA0911904)the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities(DUT22LK06,DUT22QN213 and DUT23LAB611)。
文摘Inspired by the function of crucial components in photosystemⅡ(PSⅡ),electrochemical and dyesensitized photoelectrochemical(DSPEC)water oxidation devices were constructed by the selfassembly of well-designed amphipathic Ru(bda)-based catalysts(bda=2,2'-bipyrdine-6,6'-dicarbonoxyl acid)and aliphatic chain decorated electrode surfaces,forming lipid bilayer membrane(LBM)-like structures.The Ru(bda)catalysts on electrode-supported LBM films demonstrated remarkable water oxidation performance with different O-O formation mechanisms.However,compared to the slow charge transfer process,the O-O formation pathways did not determine the PEC water oxidation efficiency of the dyesensitized photoanodes,and the different reaction rates for similar catalysts with different catalytic paths did not determine the PEC performance of the DSPECs.Instead,charge transfer plays a decisive role in the PEC water oxidation rate.When an indolo[3,2-b]carbazole derivative was introduced between the Ru(bda)catalysts and aliphatic chain-modified photosensitizer in LBM films,serving as a charge transfer mediator for the tyrosine-histidine pair in PSⅡ,the PEC water oxidation performance of the corresponding photoanodes was dramatically enhanced.
基金Leading Innovative and Entrepreneur Team Introduction Program of Zhejiang,Grant/Award Number:2019R01006National Key R&D Program of China,Grant/Award Number:2018YFB0104300。
文摘The oxygen evolution reaction(OER)activity of single-atom catalysts(SACs)is closely related to the coordination environment of the active site.Oxygencoordinated atomic metal species bring about unique features beyond nitrogen-coordinated atomic metal species due to the fact that the M-O bond is weaker than the M-N bond.Herein,a series of metal-oxygen-carbon structured low-nucleus clusters(LNCs)are successfully anchored on the surface of multiwalled carbon nanotubes(M-MWCNTs,M=Ni,Co,or Fe)through a foolproof low-temperature gas transfer(300℃)method without any further treatment.The morphology and coordination configuration of the LNCs at the atomic level were confirmed by comprehensive characterizations.The synthetic Ni-MWCNTs electrocatalyst features excellent OER activity and stability under alkaline conditions,transcending the performances of Co-MWCNTs,Fe-MWCNTs and RuO_(2).Density functional theory calculations reveal that the moderate oxidation of low-nucleus Ni clusters changes the unoccupied orbital of Ni atoms,thereby lowering the energy barrier of the OER rate-limiting step and making the OER process more energy-efficient.This study demonstrates a novel versatile platform for large-scale manufacturing of oxygen-coordinated LNC catalysts.
基金financially supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(22179072,22002070)the Natural Science Foundation of Shandong Province(ZR2021QF006)+3 种基金the Outstanding Youth Science Foundation of Shandong Province(Overseas)(2022HWYQ-006)the Natural Science Foundation of Shandong Province(ZR2020QB059)the Fundamental Research Center of Artificial Photosynthesis(FReCAP)financially supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(22088102)the China Postdoctoral Science Foundation(No.2022M711898)。
文摘Lead(Pb)-free halide perovskites have recently attracted increasing attention as potential catalysts for CO_(2) photoreduction to CO due to their potential to capture solar energy and drive catalytic reaction.However,issues of the poor charge transfer still remain one of the main obstacles limiting their performance due to the overwhelming radiative and nonradiative charge-carrier recombination losses.Herein,Pb-free Sb-alloyed all-inorganic quadruple perovskite Cs_(4)Mn(Bi_(1-x)Sb_(x))_(2)Cl_(12)(0≤x≤1)is synthesized as efficient photocatalyst.By Sb alloying,the undesired relaxation of photogenerated electrons from conduction band to emission centers of[MnCl6]^(4-)is greatly suppressed,resulting in a weakened PL emission and enhanced charge transfer for photocatalyst.The ensuing Cs_(4)Mn(Bi_(1-x)Sb_(x))_(2)Cl_(12) photocatalyst accomplishes efficient conversion of CO_(2)into CO,accompanied by a surprising production of H_(2)O_(2),a high valueadded product associated with water oxidation.By optimizing Sb^(3+) concentration,a high CO evolution rate of 35.1μmol g^(-1)h^(-1)is achieved,superior to most other Pb and Pb-free halide perovskites.Our findings provide new insights into the mixed-cation alloying strategies for improved photocatalytic performance of Pb-free perovskites and shed light on the rational design of robust band structure toward efficient energy transfer.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(21173105,21172098)~~
文摘Flower-like 3D CuO microspheres were synthesized and used to photo-catalyze water oxidation under visible light.The structure of the CuO microspheres was characterized by scanning electron microscopy,transmission electron microscopy,infrared,powder X-ray diffraction,electron dispersive spectroscopy,Raman and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy(XPS).This is the first time that a copper oxide was demonstrated as a photocatalytic water oxidation catalyst under near neutral conditions.The catalytic activity of CuO microspheres in borate buffer shows the best performance with O2 yield of 11.5%.No change in the surface properties of CuO before and after the photocatalytic reaction was seen by XPS,which showed good catalyst stability.A photocatalytic water oxidation reaction mechanism catalyzed by the CuO microspheres was proposed.
基金Project supported by the Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST).
文摘The destruction of toxic organic wastewaters from munitions demilitarization and complex industrial chemical clearly becomes an overwhelming problem if left to conventional treatment processes. Two options, incineration and supercritical water oxidation (SCWO), exist for the complete destruction of toxic organic wastewaters. Incinerator has associated problems such as very high cost and public resentment; on the other hand, SCWO has proved to be a very promising method for the treatment of many different wastewaters with extremely efficient organic waste destruction 99.99% with none of the emissions associated with incineration. In this review, the concepts of SCWO, result and present perspectives of application, and industrial status of SCWO are critically examined and discussed.
基金Project supported by the Science Technology Foundation of Educational Department(No.204020).
文摘The 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT) is a potential carcinogens and TNT contaminated wastewater, which could not be effectively disposed with conventional treatments. The supercritical water oxidation (SCWO) to treat TNT contaminated wastewater was studied in this article, The TNT concentration in wastewater was measured by high-performance liquid chromatograph (HPLC) and the degraded intermediates were analyzed using GC-MS. The results showed that SCWO could degrade TNT efficiently in the presence of oxygen. The reaction temperature, pressure, residence time and oxygen excess were the main contributing factors in the process. The decomposition of TNT was accelerated as the temperature or residence time increased. At 550℃, 24 MPa, 120 s and oxygen excess 300%, TNT removal rate could exceed 99.9%. Partial oxidation occured in SCWO without oxygen. It was concluded that supercritical water was a good solvent and had excellent oxidation capability in the existence of oxygen. The main intermediates of TNT during SCWO included toluene, 1,3,5-trinitrobenzene, nitrophenol, naphthalene, fluorenone, dibutyl phthalate, alkanes and several dimers based on the intermediate analysis. Some side reactions, such as coupled reaction, hydrolysis reaction and isomerization reaction may take place simultaneously when TNT was oxidized by SCWO.
基金the Research Foundation of SINOPEC(No. X596006) and Cao Guangbiao's Advanced Research Foundation of Zhejiang University.
文摘Some aromatic compounds, phenol, aniline and nitrobenzene, were oxidized in supercritical water. It was experimentally found that the chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal efficiency of these organic compounds can achieve a high level more than 90% in a short residence time at temperatures high enough. As temperature, pressure and residence time increase, the COD removal efficiencies of the organic compounds would all increase. It is also found that temperature and residence time offer greater influences on the oxidation process than pressure. The difficulty in oxidizing these three compounds is in the order of nitrobenzene > aniline > Phenol. In addition, it is extremely difficult to oxidize aniline and nitrobenzene to CO2 and H2O at the temperature lower than 873.15 K and 923.15 K, respectively. Only at the temperature higher than 873.15 K and 923.15 K, respectively, the COD removal efficiencies of 90% of aniline and nitrobenzene can be achieved.
基金financial support of the National Natural Science Foundation of China (21962008, 51464028)Candidate Talents Training Fund of Yunnan Province (2017PY269SQ, 2018HB007)Yunnan Ten Thousand Talents Plan Young & Elite Talents Project (YNWR-QNBJ-2018-346)。
文摘The realization of efficient oxygen evolution reaction(OER) is critical to the development of multiple sustainable energy conversion and storage technologies, especially hydrogen production via water electrolysis. To achieve the massive application of hydrogen energy and mass-scale hydrogen production from water splitting drives the pursuit of competent precious-metal-free electrocatalysts in acidic media, where the hydrogen evolution reaction(HER) is more facilitated. However, the development of high-efficient and acid-stable OER electrocatalysts, which are robust to function stably at high oxidation potentials in the acidic electrolyte, remains a great challenge. This article contributes a focused, perceptive review of the up-to-date approaches toward this emerging research field. The OER reaction mechanism and fundamental requirements for oxygen evolution electrocatalysts in acid are introduced. Then the progress and new discoveries of precious-metal-free active materials and design concepts with regard to the improvement of the intrinsic OER activity are discussed. Finally, the existing scientific challenges and the outlooks for future research directions to the fabrication of emerging, earth-abundant OER electrocatalysts in acid are pointed out.
基金financially supported by the National Key Research and Development Program of China (2017YFA0402800)the National Natural Science Foundation of China (U1932214, 51772285)the National Synchrotron Radiation Laboratory at USTC。
文摘BiVO_(4) has been attracting a lot of interest in photoelectrochemical (PEC) water oxidation due to its efficient solar absorption and appropriate band positions.So far,sluggish water oxidation kinetics and fast photogenerated charge recombination still hinder the PEC performance ofBiVO_(4) .In this study,a novel PEC photoanode was designed by depositing ultrathin FeOOH nanolayers on the surface of nanoporousBiVO_(4) electrode,followed by modification with a cobaloxime (Co(dmgH)_(2)(4-COOH-py)Cl) molecular cocatalyst.Under irradiation of a 100 mW cm^(-2)(AM 1.5G) Xe lamp,the photocurrent density of the cobaloxime/FeOOH/BiVO_(4) composite photoanode reached 5.1 mA cm^(-2)at 1.23 V vs.RHE in 1.0 M potassium borate buffer solution (pH=9.0).The onset potential of the optimal cobaloxime/FeOOH/BiVO_(4) photoanode exhibited a 460 m V cathodic shift relative to bareBiVO_(4) .In addition,the surface charge injection efficiency of the composite photoanode reached~80%at 1.23 V vs.RHE and the incident photon-to-current efficiency (IPCE) reached~88%at 420 nm.
文摘Cobalt-based oxides,with high abundance,good stability and excellent catalytic performance,are regarded as promising photocatalysts for artificial photosynthetic systems to alleviate foreseeable energy shortages and global warming.Herein,for the first time,a series of novel spongy porous CDs@CoOx materials were synthesized to act as an efficient and stable bifunctional photocatalyst for water oxidation and CO2 reduction.Notably,the preparation temperatures visibly influence the morphologies and photocatalytic performances of the CDs@CoOx.Under the optimal conditions,a maximum O2 yield of 40.4% and pretty apparent quantum efficiency(AQE)of 58.6% at 460 nm were obtained over CDs@CoOx-300 for water oxidation.Similarly,the optimized sample CDs@CoOx-300 manifests significant enhancement on the CO2-to-CO conversion with a high selectivity of 89.3% and CO generation rate of 8.1μmol/h,which is superior to most previous cobalt-based catalysts for CO2 reduction.The composite CDs@CoOx-300 not only exposes more active sites but also facilitates electron transport,which results in excellent photocatalytic activity.In addition,the boosted photocatalytic behavior is attributed to the synergistic effect between CoOx and CDs,which was verified by the photocatalytic activity control experiments and electrochemical characterization.The work offers a novel strategy to fabricate a high performance bifunctional photocatalyst for water oxidation and CO2 reduction.
基金supported by Thousand Talents Program of Chinathe National Natural Science Foundation of China (21101170,21573139,and 21773146)+1 种基金the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universitiesthe Research Funds of Shaanxi Normal University
文摘Water oxidation is significant in both natural and artificial photosynthesis.In nature,water oxidation occurs at the oxygen‐evolving center of photosystem II,and leads to the generation of oxygen,protons,and electrons.The last two are used for fixation of carbon dioxide to give carbohydrates.In artificial processes,the coupling of water oxidation to evolve O2and water reduction to evolve H2is known as water splitting,which is an attractive method for solar energy conversion and storage.Because water oxidation is a thermodynamically uphill reaction and is kinetically slow,this reaction causes a bottleneck in large‐scale water splitting.As a consequence,the development of new and efficient water oxidation catalysts(WOCs)has attracted extensive attention.Recent efforts have identified a variety of mononuclear earth‐abundant transition‐metal complexes as active and stable molecular WOCs.This review article summarizes recent progress in research on mononuclear catalysts that are based on first‐row transition‐metal elements,namely manganese,iron,cobalt,nickel,and copper.Particular attention is paid to catalytic mechanisms and the key O?O bond formation steps.This information is critical for designing new catalysts that are highly efficient and stable.
基金supported by the Basic Research Program of China(973 Program,2014CB239403)National Natural Science Foundation of China(21522306,21633009)Key Research Program of Frontier Sciences,CAS(QYZDY-SSW-JSC023)
文摘Developing efficient water oxidation catalysts(WOCs)with earth‐abundant elements still remains a challenging task for artificial photosynthesis.Iron‐based WOC is a promising candidate because it is economically cheap,little toxic and environmentally friendly.In this study,we found that the catalytic water oxidation activity on amorphous iron‐based oxide/hydroxide(FeOx)can be decreased by an order of magnitude after the dehydration process at room temperature.Thermogravimetric analysis,XRD and Raman results indicated that the dehydration process of FeOx at room temperature causes the almost completely loss of water molecule with no bulk structural changes.Based on this finding,we prepared hydrated ultrasmall(ca.2.2 nm)FeOx nanoparticles of amorphous feature,which turns out to be extremely active as WOC with turnover frequency(TOF)up to 9.3 s^-1 in the photocatalytic Ru(bpy)3^2+‐Na2S2O8 system.Our findings suggest that future design of active iron‐based oxides as WOCs requires the consideration of their hydration status.
文摘The development of stable and efficient visible light-absorbing oxide-based semiconductor photocatalysts is a desirable task for solar water splitting applications.Recently,we proposed that the low photocurrent density in film-based BiFeO_(3)(BFO)is due to charge recombination at the interface of the domain walls,which could be largely reduced in particulate photocatalyst systems.To demonstrate this hypothesis,in this work we synthesized particulate BFO and Mn-doped BiFeO_(3)(Mn-BFO)by the sol-gel method.Photocatalytic water oxidation tests showed that pure BFO had an intrinsic photocatalytic oxygen evolution reaction(OER)activity of 70μmol h^(-1) g^(-1),while BFO-2,with an optimum amount of Mn doping(0.05%),showed an OER activity of 255μmol h^(-1) g^(-1) under visible light(λ≥420 nm)irradiation.The bandgap of Mn-doped BFO could be reduced from 2.1 to 1.36 eV by varying the amount of Mn doping.Density functional theory(DFT)calculations suggested that surface Fe(rather than Mn)species serve as the active sites for water oxidation,because the overpotential for water oxidation on Fe species after Mn doping is 0.51 V,which is the lowest value measured for the different Fe and Mn species examined in this study.The improved photocatalytic water oxidation activity of Mn-BFO is ascribed to the synergistic effect of the bandgap narrowing,which increases the absorption of visible light,reduces the activation energy of water oxidation,and inhibits the recombination of photogenerated charges.This work demonstrates that Mn doping is an effective strategy to enhance the intrinsic photocatalytic water oxidation activity of particulate ferroelectric BFO photocatalysts.
基金supported by the project funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (52172222, 5197226 and 51972178)the China Postdoctoral Science Foundation(2020 M681966)+1 种基金the exchange project of the sixth ChinaNorthern Macedonia Science and Technology Meeting (6-11)the Natural Science Foundation of Ningbo Municipal Government(202003 N4164 and 2021J145)。
文摘The sluggish kinetics for water oxidation is recognized as one of the major problems for the unsatisfied photoelectrochemical(PEC) performance. Herein, we developed a feasible strategy based on in-situ selective surface cation exchange, for activating surface water oxidation reactivity toward boosted PEC water oxidation of BiVO_(4) photoanodes with fundamentally improved surface charge transfer. The asconstructed Co/BiVO_(4) photoanodes exhibit 2.6 times increase in photocurrent density with superior stability, in comparison to those of pristine counterpart. Moreover, the faradaic efficiency of as-fabricated photoanode can be up to ~ 95% at 1.23 V(vs. RHE). The unique selective replacement of Bi by Co on the surface could modify the electronic structure of BiVO_(4) with reduced energy barrier of the deprotonation of OH^(+) to O, thus favoring the overall excellent PEC performance of Co/BiVO_(4) photoanode.
文摘A molecular [Ru(bda)]-type(bda = 2,2’-bipyridine-6,6’-dicarboxylate) water oxidation catalyst with 4-vinylpyridine as the axial ligand(Complex 1) was immobilized or co-immobilized with 1-(trifluoromethyl)-4-vinylbenzene(3 F) or styrene(St) blocking units on the surface of glassy carbon(GC) electrodes by electrochemical polymerization, in order to prepare the corresponding poly-1@GC, poly-1+P3 F@GC, and poly-1+PSt@GC functional electrodes. Kinetic measurements of the electrode surface reaction revealed that [Ru(bda)] triggers the O–O bond formation via(1) the radical coupling interaction between the two metallo-oxyl radicals(I2 M) in the homo-coupling polymer(poly-1), and(2) the water nucleophilic attack(WNA) pathway in poly-1+P3 F and poly-1+PSt copolymers. The comparison of the three electrodes revealed that the second coordination sphere of the water oxidation catalysts plays vital roles in stabilizing their reaction intermediates, tuning the O–O bond formation pathways and improving the water oxidation reaction kinetics without changing the first coordination structures.
基金supported primarily by the National Key Research and Development Program of China(2018YFE0208500)the Major Research Plan of the National Natural Science Foundation of China(91963206)+4 种基金the National Natural Science Foundation of China(U1508202,51627810,51972164)the Natural Science Foundation of Jiangsu Province(SBK2018022120)the open fund of Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics(2018WNLOKF020)the open fund of Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Electrochemical Energy Storage Technologies(EEST2018-1)the civil aerospace technology preliminary research project of the State Administration of Science,Technology and Industry for National Defense。
文摘Developing highly active,cost-effective,and environmental friendly oxygen evolution reaction(OER)electrocatalysts facilitates various(photo)electrochemical processes.In this work,Fe3N nanoparticles encapsulated into N-doped graphene nanoshells(Fe_(3)N@NG)as OER electrocatalysts in alkaline media were reported.Both the experimental and theoretical comparison between Fe_(3) N@NG and Fe_(3)N/NG,specifically including in situ Mossbauer analyses,demonstrated that the NG nanoshells improved interfacial electron transfer process from Fe_(3)N to NG to form high-valence Fe^(4+)ions(Fe^(4+)@NG),thus modifying electronic properties of the outer NG shells and subsequently electron transfer from oxygen intermediate to NG nanoshells for OER catalytic process.Meanwhile,the NG nanoshells also protected Fe-based cores from forming OER inactive and insulated Fe_(2)O_(3),leading to high OER stability.As a result,the as-formed Fe^(4+)@NG shows one of the highest electrocatalytic efficiency among reported Fe-based OER electrocatalysts,which can as well highly improve the photoelectrochemical water oxidation when used as the cocatalysts for the Fe_(2)O_(3) nanoarray photoanode.
基金financially supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China (21972102)Natural Science Foundation of Jiangsu province (BK20200991)+3 种基金Suzhou Science and Technology Planning Project (SS202016)Jiangsu Laboratory for Biochemical Sensing and BiochipJiangsu Key Laboratory for Micro and Nano Heat Fluid Flow Technology and Energy ApplicationCollaborative Innovation Center of Water Treatment Technology & Material。
文摘Surface engineering of active materials to generate desired energy state is critical to fabricate high-performance heterogeneous catalysts.However, its realization in a controllable level remains challenging. Using oxygen evolution reaction(OER) as a model reaction, we report a surface-mediated Fe deposition strategy to electronically tailor surface energy states of porous Co_(3)O_(4)(Fe-pCo_(3)O_(4)) for enhanced activity towards OER. The Fe-pCo_(3)O_(4) exhibits a low overpotential of 280 mV to reach an OER current density of 100 mA cm^(-2), and a fast-kinetic behavior with a low Tafel slop of 58.2 mV dec^(-1), outperforming Co_(3)O_(4)-based OER catalysts recently reported and also the noble IrO_(2). The engineered material retains 100% of its original activity after operating at an overpotential of 350 m V for 100 h. A combination of theoretical calculations and experimental results finds out that the surface doped Fe promotes a high energy state and desired coordination environment in the near surface region, which enables optimized OER intermediates binding and favorably changes the rate-determining step.