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Oxidized Mild Steel S235: An Efficient Anode for Electrocatalytically Initiated Water Splitting
Author(s) -
Schäfer Helmut,
Küpper Karsten,
Wollschläger Joachim,
Kashaev Nikolai,
Hardege Jörg,
Walder Lorenz,
Mohsen BeladiMousavi Seyyed,
HartmannAzanza Brigitte,
Steinhart Martin,
Sadaf Shamaila,
Dorn Falk
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
chemsuschem
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.412
H-Index - 157
eISSN - 1864-564X
pISSN - 1864-5631
DOI - 10.1002/cssc.201500666
Subject(s) - overpotential , electrocatalyst , oxygen evolution , anode , materials science , catalysis , water splitting , x ray photoelectron spectroscopy , oxygen , aqueous solution , electrochemistry , chemical engineering , inorganic chemistry , chemistry , electrode , photocatalysis , organic chemistry , engineering
The surface of steel S235 was oxidized by Cl 2 gas and checked for its electrocatalytic efficiency regarding oxygen formation in aqueous solution. If exposed to humid Cl 2 gas for 110 min, steel S235 became an electrocatalyst that exhibits an overpotential for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) of 462 mV at 1 mA cm −2 at pH 7. The OER activity of the same sample at pH 13 was moderate (347 mV overpotential at 2.0 mA cm −2 current density) in comparison with OER electrocatalysts developed recently. Potential versus time plots measured at a constant current demonstrate the sufficient stability of all samples under catalysis conditions at pH 7 and 13 for tens of hours. High‐resolution X‐ray photoelectron spectra could be reasonably resolved with the proviso that Fe 2 O 3 , FeO(OH), MnO(OH), and Mn 2 O 3 are the predominant Fe and Mn species on the surface of the oxidized steel S235.