Surface regulation of perovskite oxides with cation preference for efficient trifunctional electrocatalysts

• Published in: Catalysis communications 2024-02, Vol.187, p.106896, Article 106896
• Main Authors: Zong, Ruoqi, Wu, Xiaobing, Lim, Sung Yul, Fang, Yusheng, Raza, Bareera, Lu, Yujuan, Tao, Youkun, Shao, Jing
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Electrocatalyst; Oxygen reduction; Perovskite oxides; Surface defect; Water electrolysis
• ISSN: 1566-7367; 1873-3905
• DOI: 10.1016/j.catcom.2024.106896

This study presents a straightforward chemical approach to induce cationic surface defects on SrCoO3-δ (SCO) perovskites by selectively etching a-site Sr elements on the surface. The modified SCO-30 catalyst from this method exhibits an optimized thickness of cobalt-rich amorphous layer enriched with oxygen vacancies. This modification enhances the trifunctional catalytic activity for oxygen evolution reaction (OER), oxygen reduction reaction (ORR), and hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) in an alkaline electrolyte. Importantly, the perovskite's structure remains unchanged during the surface engineering process. These findings underscore cationic defect engineering as an effective strategy for the rational design of high-performance electrocatalysts, showcasing potential applications in diverse electrochemical processes. •Superior trifunctional electrocatalytic activities are achieved on SrCoO3-δ perovskites.•Selective cation surface defects are created while preserving the perovskite structure.•Co-rich amorphous surface layer with optimal thickness is obtained.•Increased oxygen vacancies and exposure of highly oxidative Co ions contributes to the performance enhancement.