Calculation of the Tafel slope and reaction order of the oxygen evolution reaction between pH 12 and pH 14 for the adsorbate mechanism

Abstract Despite numerous experimental and theoretical studies devoted to the oxygen evolution reaction (OER), the mechanism of the OER on transition metal oxides remains controversial. This is in part owing to the ambiguity of electrochemical parameters of the mechanism such as the Tafel slope and...

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Main Authors: Denis Antipin, Marcel Risch
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley-VCH 2023-12-01
Series:Electrochemical Science Advances
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1002/elsa.202100213
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author Denis Antipin
Marcel Risch
author_facet Denis Antipin
Marcel Risch
author_sort Denis Antipin
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Despite numerous experimental and theoretical studies devoted to the oxygen evolution reaction (OER), the mechanism of the OER on transition metal oxides remains controversial. This is in part owing to the ambiguity of electrochemical parameters of the mechanism such as the Tafel slope and reaction orders. We took the most commonly assumed adsorbate mechanism and calculated the Tafel slopes and reaction orders with respect to pH based on microkinetic analysis using the steady‐state approximation. The analysis was performed for an ideal electrocatalyst without scaling of the intermediates as well as for one on the top of a volcano relation and one on each leg of the volcano relation which exhibits scaling of the intermediates. For these four cases, the number of possible Tafel slopes strongly depends on surface coverage. Furthermore, the Tafel slope becomes pH‐dependent when the coverage of intermediates changes with pH. These insights complicate the identification of a rate‐limiting step by a single Tafel slope at a single pH. Yet, simulations of reaction orders complementary to Tafel slopes can solve some ambiguities to distinguish between possible rate‐limiting steps. The most insightful information can be obtained from the low overpotential region of the Tafel plot. The simulations in this work provide clear guidelines to experimentalists for the identification of the limiting steps in the adsorbate mechanism using the observed values of the Tafel slope and reaction order in pH‐dependent studies.
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spelling doaj.art-92a26c3b57e04fdbb4f441172eb4fffd2023-12-09T12:10:57ZengWiley-VCHElectrochemical Science Advances2698-59772023-12-0136n/an/a10.1002/elsa.202100213Calculation of the Tafel slope and reaction order of the oxygen evolution reaction between pH 12 and pH 14 for the adsorbate mechanismDenis Antipin0Marcel Risch1Nachwuchsgruppe Gestaltung des Sauerstoffentwicklungsmechanismus, Helmholtz‐Zentrum Berlin für Materialien und Energie GmbH Berlin GermanyNachwuchsgruppe Gestaltung des Sauerstoffentwicklungsmechanismus, Helmholtz‐Zentrum Berlin für Materialien und Energie GmbH Berlin GermanyAbstract Despite numerous experimental and theoretical studies devoted to the oxygen evolution reaction (OER), the mechanism of the OER on transition metal oxides remains controversial. This is in part owing to the ambiguity of electrochemical parameters of the mechanism such as the Tafel slope and reaction orders. We took the most commonly assumed adsorbate mechanism and calculated the Tafel slopes and reaction orders with respect to pH based on microkinetic analysis using the steady‐state approximation. The analysis was performed for an ideal electrocatalyst without scaling of the intermediates as well as for one on the top of a volcano relation and one on each leg of the volcano relation which exhibits scaling of the intermediates. For these four cases, the number of possible Tafel slopes strongly depends on surface coverage. Furthermore, the Tafel slope becomes pH‐dependent when the coverage of intermediates changes with pH. These insights complicate the identification of a rate‐limiting step by a single Tafel slope at a single pH. Yet, simulations of reaction orders complementary to Tafel slopes can solve some ambiguities to distinguish between possible rate‐limiting steps. The most insightful information can be obtained from the low overpotential region of the Tafel plot. The simulations in this work provide clear guidelines to experimentalists for the identification of the limiting steps in the adsorbate mechanism using the observed values of the Tafel slope and reaction order in pH‐dependent studies.https://doi.org/10.1002/elsa.202100213adsorbate mechanismmicrokinetic analysisoxygen evolution reaction (OER)pH dependencereaction orderreaction mechanism
spellingShingle Denis Antipin
Marcel Risch
Calculation of the Tafel slope and reaction order of the oxygen evolution reaction between pH 12 and pH 14 for the adsorbate mechanism
Electrochemical Science Advances
adsorbate mechanism
microkinetic analysis
oxygen evolution reaction (OER)
pH dependence
reaction order
reaction mechanism
title Calculation of the Tafel slope and reaction order of the oxygen evolution reaction between pH 12 and pH 14 for the adsorbate mechanism
title_full Calculation of the Tafel slope and reaction order of the oxygen evolution reaction between pH 12 and pH 14 for the adsorbate mechanism
title_fullStr Calculation of the Tafel slope and reaction order of the oxygen evolution reaction between pH 12 and pH 14 for the adsorbate mechanism
title_full_unstemmed Calculation of the Tafel slope and reaction order of the oxygen evolution reaction between pH 12 and pH 14 for the adsorbate mechanism
title_short Calculation of the Tafel slope and reaction order of the oxygen evolution reaction between pH 12 and pH 14 for the adsorbate mechanism
title_sort calculation of the tafel slope and reaction order of the oxygen evolution reaction between ph 12 and ph 14 for the adsorbate mechanism
topic adsorbate mechanism
microkinetic analysis
oxygen evolution reaction (OER)
pH dependence
reaction order
reaction mechanism
url https://doi.org/10.1002/elsa.202100213
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AT marcelrisch calculationofthetafelslopeandreactionorderoftheoxygenevolutionreactionbetweenph12andph14fortheadsorbatemechanism