Stabilizing iridium sites via interface and reconstruction regulations for water oxidation in alkaline and acidic media

Exploring effective iridium(Ir)-based electrocatalysts with stable iridium centers is highly desirable for oxygen evolution reaction(OER).Herein,we regulated the incorporation manner of Ir in Co_(3)O_(4)support to stabilize the Ir sites for effective OER.When anchored on the surface of Co_(3)O_(4)in the form of Ir(OH)_6 species,the created Ir-OH-Co interface leads to a limited stability and poor acidic OER due to Ir leaching.When doped into Co_(3)O_(4)lattice,the analyses of X-ray absorption spectroscopy,in-situ Raman,and OER measurements show that the partially replacement of Co in Co_(3)O_(4)by Ir atoms inclines to cause strong electronic effect and activate lattice oxygen in the presence of Ir-O-Co interface,and simultaneously master the reconstruction effect to mitigate Ir dissolution,realizing the improved OER activity and stability in alkaline and acidic environments.As a result,Ir_(lat)@Co_(3)O_(4)with Ir loading of 3.67 wt%requires 294±4 mV/285±3 mV and 326±2 mV to deliver 10 mA cm^(-2)in alkaline(0.1 M KOH/1.0 M KOH)and acidic(0.5 M H_(2)SO_(4))solution,respectively,with good stability.