Publication date: 21st July 2025
Catalysts enable important chemical transformations for industrial applications, as well as for emerging technologies for the decarbonization of our societies, such as water electrolysis and the production of green hydrogen. Very often, catalysts experience structural and compositional changes during operating conditions, most notably the oxygen evolution reaction (OER), that hinder their rational design. For example, perovskite-based catalysts form an amorphous surface layer even in contact with electrolyte solutions, as well as during operating conditions.[1] The initial catalyst form is termed as “precatalyst” and currently, we have no control over the final structure of the precatalyst, which is simply termed as the “catalyst”. Controlling and monitoring the structural and compositional changes between precatalysts and the catalysts will contribute to a predictive and truly rational catalysts design. Several works addressing this issue have emerged and they look into the surface amorphization of catalysts during the oxygen evolution reaction (OER),[2, 3] but there are no studies trying to stabilize the precatalyst, ultimatelybeing the catalyst as well. This is an important aspect as such precatalysts/catalysts will provide us with insights on the catalytic activity of the crystalline phase compared to the amorphous one. This knowledge gap in perovskite-based materials is being discussed in this contribution. We have discovered that A-site deficiency in perovskite-based oxides has a dual role, first to induce exsolution, but also to stabilize the surface of the perovskite and retain its crystalline phase under harsh OER conditions in alkaline environment.[4] We consistently observe that A-site deficient perovskites perform better than their stoichiometric analogues, while exsolution boosts further the catalytic activity towards the OER. We generalize this strategy for suppression of the surface amorphization with relevant studies in other perovskite oxides catalysts for the OER.
This project has received funding from the European Union HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions under grant agreement ID 101122323 (REFINE).
Disclaimer: Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.
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