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Natural Ilmenite-derived Heterostructures with Self-Reconstructing Interfaces for Efficient Oxygen Evolution
1  Univeraity of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
Academic Editor: Andrey Kalinichev

Abstract:

Designing earth-abundant and durable catalysts for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) is vital for sustainable energy conversion and carbon-neutral technologies. Herein, we present a modular design strategy to construct an efficient sulfide/oxide heterostructured electrocatalyst through a facile sulfidation treatment of natural ilmenite. The resulting catalyst integrates high intrinsic activity, good electrical conductivity, and long-term operational stability. Benefiting from the synergistic coupling between FeS2 and TiO2, it requires only an overpotential of 230 mV to achieve a current density of 10 mA cm-2 and retains its performance over extended electrolysis in alkaline media, showing nearly 20-fold higher OER activity than pristine ilmenite at 300 mV. Comprehensive structural and electrochemical analyses reveal that the superior performance originates from an accelerated surface self-reconstruction process, where lattice-sulfur leaching promotes the in situ generation of FeOOH species that serve as the genuine active phase. Meanwhile, the residual FeS2 modulates surface electronic structures, facilitating charge transfer and enhancing conductivity, while the TiO2 scaffold maintains mechanical integrity and prevents corrosion. This synergistic interplay ensures efficient charge separation, fast reaction kinetics, and excellent durability. This work establishes a scalable and eco-friendly route to convert natural minerals into high-efficiency heterostructured catalysts, providing a sustainable materials platform for renewable-energy conversion and storage applications.

Keywords: mineral catalysts; electrocatalysis; oxide minerals; heterostructures

 
 
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