Pulsed-Laser Deposition of Nanostructured Iron Oxide Catalysts for Efficient Water Oxidation

摘要

Amorphous iron oxide nanoparticles were synthesized by pulsed-laser deposition (PLD) for functionaliza- tion of indium—tin oxide surfaces, resulting in electrodes capable of efficient catalysis in water oxidation. These electrodes, based on earth-abundant and nonhazardous iron metal, are able to sustain high current densities (up to 20 mA/ cm2) at reasonably low applied potential (1.64 V at pH 11.8 vs reversible hydrogen electrode) for more than 1 h when employed as anodes for electrochemical water oxidation. The good catalytic performance proves the validity of PLD as a method to prepare nanostructured solid-state materials for catalysis, enabling control over critical properties such as surface coverage and morphology.