A highly active catalyst for oxygen evolution, using a water splitting reaction for use in some forms of energy storage, has been discovered by researchers at Massachusetts Institute of Technology. It is an advance towards finding an inexpensive and efficient way to split water into its constituent elements for storing, and then re-join the hydrogen and oxygen to produce electricity when power is required.
The newly found materials, called double perovskites, are from a family of highly active catalysts for oxygen evolution that are abundantly found in the earth’s crust. Researchers at Massachusetts Institute of Technology call the discovery a step forward from the previously used catalyst, which had been developed by the same team, led by Yang Shao-Horn, the Gail E. Kendall Professor of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science and Engineering.
The specific compounds were made by combining a lanthanide (praseodymium, samarium, gadolinium or holmium) with barium, cobalt and oxygen. This forms a crystal structure separate sites for barium and for the lanthanide.
The reaction is essential for advanced fuel cells and lithium-air batteries but previously used catalysts have been cost prohibitive or inefficient. The research team will continue to work to fully understand the compounds and find an even more active catalyst.
