Octahedral distortion promotes the dynamic reconstruction for enhanced water oxidation

Abstract

Herein, we demonstrate that distorted CoO₆ octahedra in K₂Co₃(P₂O₇)₂ efficiently promote surface oxidation. Specifically, the octahedral distortion can increase the number of unpaired d electrons, thereby facilitating the intermediate adsorption, structural reconstruction and electron transfer processes to boost water oxidation activity. It establishes a direct correlation between the intrinsic structure and the electrochemical reconstruction.