Low‐Coordinate Iridium Oxide Confined on Graphitic Carbon Nitride for Highly Efficient Oxygen Evolution

Abstract

Highly active and durable electrocatalysts for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) is greatly desired. Iridium oxide/graphitic carbon nitride (IrO₂ /GCN) heterostructures are designed with low-coordinate IrO₂ nanoparticles (NPs) confined on superhydrophilic highly stable GCN nanosheets for efficient acidic OER. The GCN nanosheets not only ensure the homogeneous distribution and confinement of IrO₂ NPs but also endows the heterostructured catalyst system with a superhydrophilic surface, which can maximize the exposure of active sites and promotes mass diffusion. The coordination number of Ir atoms is decreased owing to the strong interaction between IrO₂ and GCN, leading to lattice strain and increment of electron density around Ir sites and hence modulating the attachment between the catalyst and reaction intermediates. The optimized IrO₂ /GCN heterostructure delivers not only by far the highest mass activity among the reported IrO₂ -based catalysts but also decent durability.