Efficient and stable noble-metal-free catalyst for acidic water oxidation

Developing non-noble catalysts with superior activity and durability for oxygen evolution reaction (OER) in acidic media is paramount for hydrogen production from water. Still, challenges remain due to the inadequate activity and stability of the OER catalyst. Here, we report a cost-effective and stable manganese oxybromide (Mn7.5O10Br3) catalyst exhibiting an excellent OER activity in acidic electrolytes, with an overpotential of as low as 295 +/- 5 mV at a current density of 10 mA cm(-2). Mn7.5O10Br3 maintains good stability under operating conditions for at least 500 h. In situ Raman spectroscopy, X ray absorption near edge spectroscopy, and density functional theory calculations confirm that a self-oxidized surface with enhanced electronic transmission capacity forms on Mn7.5O10Br3 and is responsible for both the high catalytic activity and long-term stability during catalysis. The development of Mn7.5O10Br3 as an OER catalyst provides crucial insights into the design of non-noble metal electrocatalysts for water oxidation. While acidic water splitting offers a renewable means to obtain renewable hydrogen fuel, the catalysts needed to oxidize water often require expensive noble metals. Here, authors show manganese oxyhalides as acidic oxygen evolution electrocatalysts.