<br/>A new approach has been developed to synthesize a manganese-based (MnOx) catalytic film <i>in situ</i>. This scheme uses an electrochemical deposition protocol involving two cyclic voltammetry (CV) sessions over two different ranges of potential (0.0 to 0.6 V and 0.6 to 2.0 V), followed by calcination. The resulting film has a fibrous nanoscale morphology that is uniformly distributed over the conductive surface. The surface morphology and elemental composition were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy-dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (EDS). The catalytic functionality was assessed by cyclic voltammetry (CV), and showed excellent effectiveness towards water oxidation. Its stability was assessed by consecutive CV and long term amperometry experiments, with the results showing stable catalytic performance over long periods of time. The effects of other synthesis conditions such as ionic strength, potential ranges, and number of scanning cycles were also evaluated. This protocol has the potential to open avenues for synthesis and optimization of other manganese-based water oxidation catalysts.

Synthesis of a fibrous MnOx catalytic film on FTO by dual-session cyclic voltammetry<br />

249th National Meeting (2015)

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