Untangling the Mechanisms in Magneto‐Electrocatalytic Oxygen Evolution
External magnetic fields emerge as a promising method for enhancing the electrocatalytic oxygen evolution reaction (OER), yet the underlying magneto-electric (ME) mechanisms are not well understood. The slow kinetics of OER make it a key challenge in electrocatalytic water-splitting, a promising technique for sustainable H<sub>2</sub> fuel production. Herein, a systematic approach is presented to analyzing the ME mechanisms governing OER, using metallic-plate (Ni foam, Ni sheet, and Pt sheet) and powder-based (Co<sub>3</sub>O<sub>4</sub>/BaFe<sub>12</sub>O<sub>19</sub> on carbon paper) electrodes. Through controlled experiments using varying magnetic field strengths and orientations, Lorentz force and spin-polarization mechanisms are separated. For metallic electrodes, the effects are orientation-dependent, indicating domination by Lorentz force. Magnetic flux density about the electrode surface is shown to govern the Lorentz force behavior. Interestingly, a "pseudo" effect is discovered which results from the relative position of the reference electrode, highlighting the importance of experimental design. The Co<sub>3</sub>O<sub>4</sub> systems display minimal orientation dependence, indicating spin-polarization domination. Introducing BaFe<sub>12</sub>O<sub>19</sub> as a magnetic co-catalyst further amplifies the ME effect, marking the first demonstration of magnetic co-catalyst enhancement in magneto-electrocatalysis. This work provides key insights into ME mechanisms, linking electrode composition, magnetism, and geometry to performance, offering new pathways for optimizing future magneto-electrocatalytic systems.
Authors
- Xuelei Pan (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8317-2080)
- Amy Radford
- Mengfan Ying
- Michail Stamatakis (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8338-8706)
- Shik Chi Edman Tsang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8796-3146)
- Qiming Chen (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2119-9664)
- Yiyang Li (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9278-7386)
- Chen Wu
- Mingyu Luo (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0008-4965-0852)
- Dorottya Szalay
Institutions
- University of Oxford (GB)
- Zhejiang University (CN)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Small
- Published
- 2025-05-02
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1002/smll.202412852
- Citations
- 5
- Primary Topic
- Electrocatalysts for Energy Conversion
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 1.82
Funders
- University of St Andrews
- Cardiff University
- Zhejiang University
- Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council