Enhanced Electrocatalytic Oxygen Evolution in Au–Fe Nanoalloys. Issue 23 (2nd May 2017)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Vassalini, Irene; Borgese, Laura; Mariz, Michele; Polizzi, Stefano; Aquilanti, Giuliana; Ghigna, Paolo; Sartorel, Andrea; Amendola, Vincenzo; Alessandri, Ivano
• Is Part Of: Angewandte Chemie international edition. Volume 56:Issue 23(2017)
• Page Start: 6589
• Page End: 6593
• Publication Date: 2017-05-02
• Subjects: alkaline water electrolyzer -- electrochemical impedance spectroscopy -- laser ablation -- nanoalloys -- oxygen evolution reaction; Chemistry -- Periodicals; 540
• DOI: 10.1002/anie.201703387
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1433-7851

Abstract

Abstract: Oxygen evolution reaction (OER) is the most critical step in water splitting, still limiting the development of efficient alkaline water electrolyzers. Here we investigate the OER activity of Au–Fe nanoalloys obtained by laser‐ablation synthesis in solution. This method allows a high amount of iron (up to 11 at %) to be incorporated into the gold lattice, which is not possible in Au–Fe alloys synthesized by other routes, due to thermodynamic constraints. The Au0.89 Fe0.11 nanoalloys exhibit strongly enhanced OER in comparison to the individual pure metal nanoparticles, lowering the onset of OER and increasing up to 20 times the current density in alkaline aqueous solutions. Such a remarkable electrocatalytic activity is associated to nanoalloying, as demonstrated by comparative examples with physical mixtures of gold and iron nanoparticles. These results open attractive scenarios to the use of kinetically stable nanoalloys for catalysis and energy conversion. Abstract : Splitting water : Au–Fe nanoparticles synthesized by laser ablation in solution exhibit enhanced activity in the oxygen evolution reaction (see diagram). The results open exciting perspectives for using nanoalloys in catalysis and energy conversion.