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  • Lewis Acid Site Engineering in Chromite Spinels Orchestrated Surface Reconstruction and Surpasses RuO 2 in Oxygen Evolution

This content will become publicly available on September 27, 2026

Title: Lewis Acid Site Engineering in Chromite Spinels Orchestrated Surface Reconstruction and Surpasses RuO 2 in Oxygen Evolution
Abstract Atomic‐scale engineering of chromite spinels featuring redox‐active tetrahedral A‐sites and strong Cr–O covalency offers a promising route to superior platinum‐group‐metal‐free oxygen evolution reaction (OER) catalysts. However, comprehensive studies addressing how cation substitution influences surface chemistry and governs OER activity and durability in chromite spinels remain limited. Here, a systematic investigation of the multicationic chromite series NixFeyCr3−x−yO4is presented, identifying composition‐dependent Lewis acidity as a descriptor of superior OER performance. It is further demonstrated that tuning surface acidity directly controls dynamic reconstruction processes and lattice‐oxygen participation during spinel‐based electrocatalysis. Following activation, the optimized Ni0.8Fe0.3Cr1.9O4catalyst delivers a current density of 10 mA cm−2at an overpotential of 235 mV, surpassing RuO2, with excellent long‐term stability. Integrating microscopic and spectroscopic analysis with operando impedance spectroscopy, it shows that activation generates an oxyhydroxide overlayer and reveals a previously unrecognized link between surface Lewis acidity and the growth kinetics and activity of these shells. Density functional theory calculations indicate that Fe incorporation at octahedral sites raises the O 2p‐band center and lowers oxygen‐vacancy formation energy, promoting lattice‐oxygen activation and triggering reconstruction, yielding enhanced OER. This work integrates cation‐driven surface‐acidity modulation, acidity‐governed reconstruction, and OER activity enhancement into a unified predictive framework for designing earth‐abundant spinel‐based catalysts.  more » « less
Award ID(s):
2216473
PAR ID:
10638512
Author(s) / Creator(s):
 ;  ;  ;  ;  
Publisher / Repository:
Wiley Blackwell (John Wiley & Sons)
Date Published:
Journal Name:
Small
ISSN:
1613-6810
Format(s):
Medium: X
Sponsoring Org:
National Science Foundation
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