Copper Delafossite Anode for Water Electrolysis

Abstract

The design of highly active anode for water electrolysis is a critical issue. Here we report on copper delafossite oxide (ABO 2 ; A = Cu) as a novel anode for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER). Among the copper delafossites we synthesized, copper rhodium delafossite (CuRhO 2 ) showed the excellent cyclic voltammogram characteristic for OER in 1 M KOH (aq), comparable to that of Co 3 O 4 . We also confirmed that the e g orbital occupancy at the B site of delafossites, calculated from the bulk structure, had a good accordance with the catalytic activity of those materials. The CV characteristics of Cu delafossites were more accurately explained by considering the electronic conductivity.