Explores a new oxygen evolution pathway in dual-atom catalysts, suggesting improved photoelectrochemical performance.
Dual‐atom catalysts (DACs) with heterogeneous active sites represent an emerging frontier in photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting. However, the corresponding reaction mechanism on DACs is still unclear. Herein, we present a photoanode architecture comprising NiFe dual atoms (DAs) anchored on a TiO x ‐coated BiVO 4 photoanode (NiFe DAs/TiO x /BiVO 4 ), which delivers an impressive photocurrent density of 6.13 mA cm −2 at 1.23 V RHE , sustained stability exceeding 150 h, and an applied bias photon‐to‐current efficiency of 2.2%. Our investigation reveals a dual functionality of the NiFe DAs which serve as an efficient oxygen evolution cocatalyst and enhance charge separation—an aspect largely overlooked in previous studies. Through in situ spectroscopic investigations combined with density functional theory calculations, we elucidate that the NiFe DAs/TiO x /BiVO 4 enables a mechanistic shift from the conventional adsorbate evolution mechanism (AEM) observed in single atom‐modified‐TiO x /BiVO 4 to an *O─O* coupling mechanism (OCM). Specifically, this OCM pathway bypasses the formation of *OOH and produces the *O─O* bridging species, broking the *OOH/*OH scaling limitation in the AEM pathway. This work uncovers PEC water oxidation mechanism at the atomic level, establishing a foundational framework for designing high‐performance photoelectrodes through precise atomic‐scale engineering.
No takes yet. Share an insight, caveat, or question.
Zhang et al. (2026) studied this question.
Synapse has enriched 5 closely related papers on similar clinical questions. Consider them for comparative context: