Surfactant Improved Interface Morphology and Mass Transfer for Electrochemical Oxygen-Evolving Reaction

The surface microstructure of a catalyst coating layer directly affects the active area, hydrophilicity and hydrophobicity, high porosity is desirable especially for solid–liquid–gas three-phase catalytic reactions. However, it remains challenging to customize distribution during process. Here, we report simple strategy achieving ultrafine nanocatalyst deposition in porous structure via introducing surfactant into inks. For proof-of-concept demonstration, spin-coated nanoscale IrO2 sol with sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) onto glassy carbon (GC) electrode oxygen evolution reaction (OER). Due action, deposited evenly distributed interconnected highly overlayer, which facilitates electrolyte permeation, gas bubble elimination active-site accessibility, thus affording high-performance OER alkaline media. Particularly, SDS-modified electrodes enable industrial-level high-current-density performance enhanced mass transfer kinetics. Such manipulation effective improve electrodes’ activity stability, scalable practical applications suggestive other gas-evolving electrodes.