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Enhanced Electrocatalytic Oxygen Evolution in Au–Fe Nanoalloys
Author(s) -
Vassalini Irene,
Borgese Laura,
Mariz Michele,
Polizzi Stefano,
Aquilanti Giuliana,
Ghigna Paolo,
Sartorel Andrea,
Amendola Vincenzo,
Alessandri Ivano
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
angewandte chemie international edition
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 5.831
H-Index - 550
eISSN - 1521-3773
pISSN - 1433-7851
DOI - 10.1002/anie.201703387
Subject(s) - oxygen evolution , nanoparticle , aqueous solution , catalysis , water splitting , chemical engineering , limiting , chemistry , oxygen , electrocatalyst , transition metal , materials science , electrochemistry , inorganic chemistry , nanotechnology , electrode , organic chemistry , mechanical engineering , photocatalysis , engineering
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 Au 0.89 Fe 0.11 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.