Electrocatalytic Mechanisms in Perovskite-Structured Materials

Perovskite oxides, defined by the general formula ABO₃, have emerged as highly versatile electrocatalysts owing to their compositional flexibility, adjustable electronic structures and rich defect chemistry. Substitution at the A-site (typically a rare-earth or alkali-earth metal) and the B-site (a transition metal) tunes the d-orbital occupancy and metal–oxygen covalency, thereby modulating key activity descriptors such as eg electron filling and the oxygen vacancy formation energy. Mechanistic understanding has advanced through delineation of lattice-oxygen participation versus adsorbate evolution pathways in the oxygen evolution reaction (OER), and the role of dynamic redox state transitions in the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). Surface terminations, particle morphology and interfacial architectures – for instance, perovskite–carbon composites or heterostructured nanocomposites – critically influence charge-transfer resistance, active site density and durability under operating conditions. Practical applications span alkaline and proton-exchange membrane electrolyzers, reversible fuel cells and metal–air batteries, where earth-abundant perovskites offer a low-cost alternative to noble metals without sacrificing performance. Ongoing work emphasises rational design strategies that correlate atomic-scale structure with turnover frequency, while tackling stability challenges under prolonged cycling in strongly oxidative or reductive environments.

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Electrocatalytic Mechanisms in Perovskite-Structured Materials publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in electrocatalytic mechanisms in perovskite-structured materials across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Perovskite: A mixed-metal oxide with an ABO₃ lattice allowing tunable electronic and ionic properties.

Electrocatalytic mechanism: The sequence of surface reactions and coupled electron–ion transfers that drive an electrochemical conversion.

Oxygen evolution reaction (OER): An anodic process in water splitting involving the four-electron oxidation of water to O₂.

Oxygen reduction reaction (ORR): A cathodic process in fuel cells and metal–air batteries involving multi-electron reduction of O₂ to water or hydroxide.

References

1. Recent development of perovskite oxide-based electrocatalysts and their applications in low to intermediate temperature electrochemical devices. Materials Today (2021).
2. Transition Metal‐based Perovskite Oxides: Emerging Electrocatalysts for Oxygen Evolution Reaction. ChemCatChem (2023).
3. Relationship between Mn Oxidation State Changes and Oxygen Reduction Activity in (La,Ca)MnO3 as Probed by In Situ XAS and XES. ACS Catalysis (2021).
4. Solid-State Ball-Milling of Co3O4 Nano/Microspheres and Carbon Black Endorsed LaMnO3 Perovskite Catalyst for Bifunctional Oxygen Electrocatalysis. Catalysts (2021).