DataVXACS Energy LettersPaper
journal article·2026-06-22

Revealing Geometric-Site-Dependent Activity of Cobalt Spinel Oxides for Oxygen Evolution Reaction

Xingyu Ding, Hongxia Wang, Ningning Song, Peng Liu, Bo Zhao, Xiaochun Huang, Meiyan Cui, Chuanmu Tian, Victor de la Peña O’Shea, Freddy E. Oropeza, Hongbin Zhang, Jan P. Hofmann, Kelvin H. L. Zhang

ACS Energy Letters
Publisher page
Source abstract

Abstract

Co-based spinel oxides are promising oxygen evolution reaction (OER) catalysts, but the intrinsic active site, tetrahedral ( Co Td 2 + ) or octahedral ( Co Oh 3 + ), remains debated due to interference from defects and reconstruction in nanostructured catalysts. Here, single crystal ZnCo 2 O 4 (mainly Co Oh 3 + ), CoAl 2 O 4 (mainly Co Td 2 + ), and Co 3 O 4 (both sites) epitaxial thin films with well-defined structures serve as model electrocatalysts to eliminate extrinsic effects. Our results reveal that Co Oh 3 + -rich motifs exhibit higher OER activity than Co Td 2 + -rich motifs. Electronic structure analysis shows that stronger Co Oh 3d-O 2p hybridization enhances electron transfer to oxygen-containing intermediates involved in the OER, thereby governing the activity. Furthermore, tetrahedral cations modulate this hybridization, with Zn Td 2 + strengthening Co Oh -O interaction compared to Co Td 2 + . This work identifies Co Oh as the dominant active site and suggests that OER performance can be optimized by maximizing Co Oh exposure and tuning tetrahedral ions to enhance Co Oh 3d-O 2p hybridization.
Source: openalex_inverted_index · Quality: baseline

Research context

NanomaterialsCatalysis & surfaces

OpenAlex topics: Electrocatalysts for Energy Conversion · Catalytic Processes in Materials Science · Catalysis and Oxidation Reactions

SciVX discovery tags are terminology-based. OpenAlex topics are source-provided classifications.

Affiliations

State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering

Xiamen University

Surface Science Laboratory, Department of Materials and Earth SciencesTechnical University of Darmstadt, Otto-Berndt-Strasse 3, 64287 Darmstadt, Germany

College of Smart Materials and Future Energy, State Key Laboratory of Coatings for Advanced Equipment

Fudan University

Institute of Materials Science

Technical University of Darmstadt

State Key Laboratory of Structural Chemistry

Fujian Institute of Research on the Structure of Matter, Chinese Academy of Sciences

Photoactivated Processes UnitIMDEA Energy InstituteParque Tecnológico de Móstoles, Avda. Ramón de la Sagra 3, Móstoles, 28935 Madrid, Spain

Funding

Comunidad de Madrid · Ministerio de Econom?a y Competitividad · Chinesisch-Deutsche Zentrum f?r Wissenschaftsf?rderung · NextGenerationEU · National Natural Science Foundation of China · CLAESS beamline of the ALBA synchrotron · Shanghai Sailing Program

References (32)

Show source-provided references
1. Chen Ming-Xi · Angew. Chem. · 2020 · 132 · 164410.1002/ange.201912275 ↗
2. Ding Xingyu · Adv. Funct. Mater. · 2026 · e2156610.1002/adfm.202521566 ↗
3. Ding Xingyu · Nat. Commun. · 2024 · 15 · 533610.1038/s41467-024-49015-4 ↗
4. Liu Zhijuan · Angew. Chem. · 2020 · 132 · 476610.1002/ange.201914245 ↗
5. Friebel Daniel · J. Am. Chem. Soc. · 2015 · 137 · 130510.1021/ja511559d ↗
6. Li Nancy · Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U. S. A. · 2017 · 114 · 148610.1073/pnas.1620787114 ↗
7. Li Jiangtian · J. Am. Chem. Soc. · 2020 · 142 · 5010.1021/jacs.9b10882 ↗
8. He Dong · Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. · 2020 · 59 · 692910.1002/anie.202001681 ↗
9. Xu Lei · Angew. Chem. · 2016 · 128 · 536310.1002/ange.201600687 ↗
10. Peng Shengjie · J. Am. Chem. Soc. · 2018 · 140 · 1364410.1021/jacs.8b05134 ↗
11. Wang Hongxia · J. Mater. Chem. A · 2021 · 9 · 1946510.1039/D1TA03732C ↗
12. Zhao Qing · Chem. Rev. · 2017 · 117 · 1012110.1021/acs.chemrev.7b00051 ↗
13. Kim Tae Woo · J. Phys. Chem. Lett. · 2014 · 5 · 237010.1021/jz501077u ↗
14. Wu Jing · J. Am. Chem. Soc. · 2022 · 144 · 1916310.1021/jacs.2c08726 ↗
15. Wang Xiuyun · ACS Catal. · 2017 · 7 · 162610.1021/acscatal.6b03547 ↗
16. Zhang Yu · Nano Research · 2024 · 17 · 22110.1007/s12274-023-5526-0 ↗
17. Wang Hsin-Yi · J. Am. Chem. Soc. · 2016 · 138 · 3610.1021/jacs.5b10525 ↗
18. Hung Sung-Fu · Nano Res. · 2018 · 8 · 1701686
19. Sun Shengnan · Angew. Chem. · 2019 · 131 · 610310.1002/ange.201902114 ↗
20. Wu Yi-jin · Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. · 2021 · 60 · 2682910.1002/anie.202112447 ↗
21. Zhang Rongrong · J. Am. Chem. Soc. · 2023 · 145 · 227110.1021/jacs.2c10515 ↗
22. Sun Yan · Chem. Sci. · 2023 · 14 · 590610.1039/D2SC07034K ↗
23. Huang X. C. · Phys. Rev. B · 2019 · 100 · 11530110.1103/PhysRevB.100.115301 ↗
24. Zhou Ye · Adv. Mater. · 2019 · 31 · 190250910.1002/adma.201902509 ↗
25. Peng Yuman · ACS Catal. · 2021 · 11 · 560110.1021/acscatal.1c00214 ↗
26. Montoya Alejandro · Chem. Phys. Lett. · 2011 · 502 · 6310.1016/j.cplett.2010.12.015 ↗
27. Oku Masaoki · J. Solid State Chem. · 1978 · 23 · 177
28. Munakata Fumio · Phys. Rev. B · 1997 · 56 · 97910.1103/PhysRevB.56.979 ↗
29. Vaz C. A. F. · Phys. Rev. B · 2009 · 80 · 15545710.1103/PhysRevB.80.155457 ↗
30. Oku Masaoki · J. Electron Spectrosc. Relat. Phenom. · 1976 · 8 · 47510.1016/0368-2048(76)80034-5 ↗
31. Lin H. J. · Phys. Rev. B · 2010 · 81 · 11513810.1103/PhysRevB.81.115138 ↗
32. Huang Jinzhen · Nat. Commun. · 2021 · 12 · 303610.1038/s41467-021-23390-8 ↗