The role of Ir decoration in activating multi-scale fractal surface in porous Ni for the oxygen evolution reaction

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dc.contributor.authorHao, Minghui
dc.contributor.authorAssresahegn, Birhanu Desalegn
dc.contributor.authorAbdellah, Ahmed
dc.contributor.authorMiner, Lukas
dc.contributor.authorAl Hejami, Ahmed
dc.contributor.authorZaker, Nafiseh
dc.contributor.authorGaudet, Julie
dc.contributor.authorRoué, Lionel
dc.contributor.authorBotton, Gianluigi A.
dc.contributor.authorBeauchemin, Diane
dc.contributor.authorHiggins, Drew C.
dc.contributor.authorThorpe, Steven
dc.contributor.authorHarrington, David A.
dc.contributor.authorGuay, Daniel
dc.date.accessioned2023-01-21T00:39:34Z
dc.date.available2023-01-21T00:39:34Z
dc.date.copyright2023en_US
dc.date.issued2023
dc.description.abstractInterfacial engineering of electrocatalysts is a pivotal approach for promoting the energy conversion efficiency of water electrolysis systems. Anchoring clusters or even single atoms of a foreign element on the surface of a support, usually 3D structured, can alter its local electronic structure leading to superior electrocatalytic activity. Herein, we report a method to decorate a 3D fractal Ni electrode with Ir atoms via a galvanic displacement reaction. The resulting electrode has a very low Ir loading of 1.6 μmole cmgeo^-2, with iridium atoms present as 4-5 nm diameter nanoclusters on the electrode surface. The activity for the electrochemical oxygen evolution reaction (OER) of the 3D fractal Ni electrode was improved by decoration with Ir, resulting in an overpotential of 195 mV at 10 mA cm^-2 and a Tafel slope of 44 mV dec^-1. Apart from increasing the electrocatalytic activity for the OER due to the very presence of more active iridium atoms, the galvanic displacement reaction resulted in a factor 8-10 increase of the electrochemically active surface area due to the creation/activation of a secondary pore structure that contributes also to the better electrocatalytic performance of the resulting electrode. Using operando acoustic emission, it is demonstrated that the galvanic displacement reaction and the presence of Ir nanoclusters have the additional effect of reducing the average O2 bubble size formed during the OER. As a result, the blocking effect of O2 bubbles at high current density is less drastic than on the 3D fractal Ni electrode, resulting in a less severe decrease of the electrochemically active area at large current density. All three effects contribute towards improving the OER performance of the Ir-decorated 3D fractal Ni electrode.en_US
dc.description.embargo2024-01-17
dc.description.reviewstatusRevieweden_US
dc.description.scholarlevelFacultyen_US
dc.description.sponsorshipThis research was conducted as part of the Engineered Nickel Catalysts for Electrochemical Clean Energy project administered from Queen’s University and supported by Grant No. RGPNM 477963-2015 under the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) Discovery Frontiers Program. Electron microscopy imaging and related characterization were conducted at the Canadian Centre for Electron Microscopy at McMaster University.en_US
dc.identifier.citationHao, M., Assresahegn, B. D., Abdellah, A., Miner, L., Al Hejami, A., Zaker, N., . . . Guay, D. (2023). The role of Ir decoration in activating multi-scale fractal surface in porous Ni for the oxygen evolution reaction. ACS Catalysis, 13(1), 1726-1739. https://doi.org/10.1021/acscatal.2c05349en_US
dc.identifier.urihttps://doi.org/10.1021/acscatal.2c05349
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/1828/14681
dc.language.isoenen_US
dc.publisherACS Catalysisen_US
dc.subjectGas-evolving reaction
dc.subjectGas bubbles
dc.subjectWettability
dc.subjectPorous electrode
dc.subjectImpedance
dc.subjectIr incorporation
dc.subjectAlkaline water electrolysis
dc.subject.departmentDepartment of Chemistry
dc.titleThe role of Ir decoration in activating multi-scale fractal surface in porous Ni for the oxygen evolution reactionen_US
dc.typeArticleen_US

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