Electrochemical Water-Splitting Based on Hypochlorite Oxidation

Abstract

Effective catalytic water-splitting can be electrochemically triggered in an alkaline solution of sodium hypochlorite. Hypochlorite oxidation on polycrystalline platinum yields ClO· radicals, which initiate a radical-assisted water-splitting, yielding oxygen, hydrogen peroxide, and protons. The efficiency of the O2 production corresponds to about two electrons per molecule of the produced O2 and is controlled primarily by the hypochlorite concentration and pH.