title: Functional links between stability and reactivity of strontium ruthenate single crystals during oxygen evolution.
abstract: In developing cost-effective complex oxide materials for the oxygen evolution reaction, it is critical to establish the missing links between structure and function at the atomic level. The fundamental and practical implications of the relationship on any oxide surface are prerequisite to the design of new stable and active materials. Here we report an intimate relationship between the stability and reactivity of oxide catalysts in exploring the reaction on strontium ruthenate single-crystal thin films in alkaline environments. We determine that for strontium ruthenate films with the same conductance, the degree of stability, decreasing in the order (001)>(110)>(111), is inversely proportional to the activity. Both stability and reactivity are governed by the potential-induced transformation of stable Ru(4+) to unstable Ru(n>4+). This ordered(Ru(4+))-to-disordered(Ru(n>4+)) transition and the development of active sites for the reaction are determined by a synergy between electronic and morphological effects.
authors.affiliation: Materials Science Division, Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, Illinois 60439, USA.
authors.forename: Seo Hyoung
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.affiliation: Materials Science Division, Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, Illinois 60439, USA.
authors.forename: Nemanja
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Danilovic
authors.affiliation: Materials Science Division, Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, Illinois 60439, USA.
authors.forename: Kee-Chul
authors.initials: KC
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.affiliation: Materials Science Division, Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, Illinois 60439, USA.
authors.forename: Ram
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Subbaraman
authors.affiliation: Materials Science Division, Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, Illinois 60439, USA.
authors.forename: Arvydas P
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Paulikas
authors.affiliation: Materials Science Division, Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, Illinois 60439, USA.
authors.forename: Dillon D
authors.initials: DD
authors.lastname: Fong
authors.affiliation: Materials Science Division, Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, Illinois 60439, USA.
authors.forename: Matthew J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Highland
authors.affiliation: Materials Science Division, Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, Illinois 60439, USA.
authors.forename: Peter M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Baldo
authors.affiliation: Materials Science Division, Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, Illinois 60439, USA.
authors.forename: Vojislav R
authors.initials: VR
authors.lastname: Stamenkovic
authors.affiliation: Advanced Photon Source, Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, Illinois 60439, USA.
authors.forename: John W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Freeland
authors.affiliation: Materials Science Division, Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, Illinois 60439, USA.
authors.forename: Jeffrey A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Eastman
authors.affiliation: Materials Science Division, Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, Illinois 60439, USA.
authors.forename: Nenad M
authors.initials: NM
authors.lastname: Markovic