An Oxygen-Insensitive Hydrogen Evolution Catalyst Coated by a Molybdenum-Based Layer for Overall Water Splitting

  • Angel T. Garcia-Esparza
  • , Tatsuya Shinagawa
  • , Samy Ould-Chikh
  • , Muhammad Qureshi
  • , Xuyuan Peng
  • , Nini Wei
  • , Dalaver H. Anjum
  • , Alain Clo
  • , Tsu Chien Weng
  • , Dennis Nordlund
  • , Dimosthenis Sokaras
  • , Jun Kubota
  • , Kazunari Domen
  • , Kazuhiro Takanabe

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

115 Scopus citations

Abstract

For overall water-splitting systems, it is essential to establish O2-insensitive cathodes that allow cogeneration of H2 and O2. An acid-tolerant electrocatalyst is described, which employs a Mo-coating on a metal surface to achieve selective H2 evolution in the presence of O2. In operando X-ray absorption spectroscopy identified reduced Pt covered with an amorphous molybdenum oxyhydroxide hydrate with a local structural order composed of polyanionic trimeric units of molybdenum(IV). The Mo layer likely hinders O2 gas permeation, impeding contact with active Pt. Photocatalytic overall water splitting proceeded using MoOx/Pt/SrTiO3 with inhibited water formation from H2 and O2, which is the prevailing back reaction on the bare Pt/SrTiO3 photocatalyst. The Mo coating was stable in acidic media for multiple hours of overall water splitting by membraneless electrolysis and photocatalysis.

Original languageBritish English
Pages (from-to)5780-5784
Number of pages5
JournalAngewandte Chemie - International Edition
Volume56
Issue number21
DOIs
StatePublished - 15 May 2017

Keywords

  • electrocatalysis
  • hydrogen evolution
  • in operando XAS
  • photocatalysis
  • water splitting

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