Nanolayered Mn oxide obtained in the reaction of KMnO4 and Mn2CO10: Conflict between extremes toward an efficient water-oxidizing catalyst

Abstract

Using sustainable energies, large-scale electrochemical and photochemical hydrogen production from water splitting are greatly limited by water-oxidation reaction. Herein we report that nanolayered Mn oxide obtained in the reaction of KMnO4 and Mn2CO10 is a good catalyst toward water oxidation. The Mn oxide was synthesized by a simple method and characterized by scanning electron microscopy, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and atomic absorption spectroscopy. In the next step, the water-oxidizing activity of the oxide was considered in the presence of cerium(IV) ammonium nitrate. The compound shows good water-oxidizing activity with turnover frequencies of ∼0.5 (mmol O2/(mol Mn·s)) toward water oxidation.