TY - JOUR
T1 - Electrochemically Decorated Iridium Electrodes with WS3−x Toward Improved Oxygen Evolution Electrocatalyst Stability in Acidic Electrolytes
AU - Escalera-López, Daniel
AU - Jensen, Kim Degn
AU - Rees, Neil
AU - Escudero Escribano, Maria
PY - 2021
Y1 - 2021
N2 - Iridium-based oxides, currently the state-of-the-art oxygen evolution reaction (OER) electrocatalysts in acidic electrolytes, are cost-intensive materials which undergo significant corrosion under long-term OER operation. Thus, numerous researchers have devoted their efforts to mitigate iridium corrosion by decoration with corrosion-resistant metal oxides and/or supports to maximize OER catalyst durability whilst retaining high activity. Herein a one-step, facile electrochemical route to obtain improved IrOx thin film OER stability in acid by decorating with amorphous tungsten sulphide (WS3−x) upon electrochemical decomposition of a [WS4]2− aqueous precursor is proposed. The rationale behind applying such WS3−x decoration stems from the generation of a tungsten oxide phase, a well-known corrosion-resistant photoactive OER catalyst. The study demonstrates the viability of the proposed WS3−x decoration, allowing the tailoring of experimental parameters responsible for WS3−x nanoparticle size and surface coverage. OER stability tests coupled by ex situ SEM and XPS corroborate the beneficial effect of WS3−x decoration, yielding improved OER specific activity metrics along with minimized Ir surface roughening, a characteristic of electrodissolution. Iridium decoration with electrodeposited, corrosion-resistant oxides is consequently shown to be a promising route to maximize OER stabilities.
AB - Iridium-based oxides, currently the state-of-the-art oxygen evolution reaction (OER) electrocatalysts in acidic electrolytes, are cost-intensive materials which undergo significant corrosion under long-term OER operation. Thus, numerous researchers have devoted their efforts to mitigate iridium corrosion by decoration with corrosion-resistant metal oxides and/or supports to maximize OER catalyst durability whilst retaining high activity. Herein a one-step, facile electrochemical route to obtain improved IrOx thin film OER stability in acid by decorating with amorphous tungsten sulphide (WS3−x) upon electrochemical decomposition of a [WS4]2− aqueous precursor is proposed. The rationale behind applying such WS3−x decoration stems from the generation of a tungsten oxide phase, a well-known corrosion-resistant photoactive OER catalyst. The study demonstrates the viability of the proposed WS3−x decoration, allowing the tailoring of experimental parameters responsible for WS3−x nanoparticle size and surface coverage. OER stability tests coupled by ex situ SEM and XPS corroborate the beneficial effect of WS3−x decoration, yielding improved OER specific activity metrics along with minimized Ir surface roughening, a characteristic of electrodissolution. Iridium decoration with electrodeposited, corrosion-resistant oxides is consequently shown to be a promising route to maximize OER stabilities.
U2 - 10.1002/adsu.202000284
DO - 10.1002/adsu.202000284
M3 - Journal article
VL - 5
JO - Advanced Sustainable Systems
JF - Advanced Sustainable Systems
SN - 2366-7486
IS - 11
M1 - 2000284
ER -