Oxygen evolution reactions are used in a wide range of electrochemical processes such chlorine evolution, electroplating, peroxide production, and generating hydrogen from water via electrolysis. However, the high overpotentials required in the oxygen evolution reactions reduce the energy efficiency of the electrochemical processes.
Now researchers at National Tsing-Hua University, Taiwan, have developed highly efficient electrocatalysts based on nickel cobaltite aerogels. These aerogels have an ultralow overpotential of 0.184 V at 100 mA cm−2 for oxygen evolution. The ultralow overpotential is thought to arise from the high specific surface area and well-connected three-dimensional through-pore structure of the aerogel materials.
Interested to know more? Read the article for free until 21st December 2011:
Hsing-Chi Chien, Wei-Yun Cheng, Yong-Hui Wang, Te-Yu Wei and Shih-Yuan Lu, J. Mater. Chem., 2011, 21, 18180-18182
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