A WO3/Ag–Bi oxygen-evolution catalyst for splitting water under mild conditions

A WO3/Ag–Bi based oxygen-evolution catalyst, combining an Ag–Bi catalyst with WO3, has been prepared. This catalyst shows excellent catalytic activity for the splitting of water under mild conditions (near neutral, room temperature, and atmospheric pressure). The WO3/Ag–Bi catalyst shows a high oxygen-evolution rate (30.85 μmol/h), a high Faradaic efficiency (91.30%), and a low oxygen-evolution overpotential (290 mV). Oxygen evolution and stability performance have been investigated by electrochemical measurements. The WO3/Ag–Bi catalyst has been further characterized by powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive spectrometry (EDS), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS).

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► A WO3/Ag–Bi oxygen-evolution catalyst has been prepared.
► The catalysts show better oxygen evolution activity for water splitting.
► The catalysts prompt the process of water electrolysis and weaken the polarization.