Cobalt oxides are an earth abundant material that exhibits high electrocatalytic activity for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) across a wide pH range. Recent studies suggest that OER catalysis can proceed through an active site comprised of one or two cobalt atoms but that multiple adjacent cobalt centers are preferred to stabilize high valent cobalt oxo-intermediates by delocalization. Utilizing molecular precursors to prepare single, isolated cobalt atoms (SS-Co) and small clusters of Co3O4 we find that OER proceeds more efficiently on Co3O4. Using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), these results were rationalized at an atomic level. The EIS results support a hypothesis that charge transfer related to the formation of reaction intermediates proceeds more easily on Co3O4 than on SS-Co, which is attributed to the difficulty in forming Co(IV) = O and unlikely nucleophilic attack by water to form Co(II)-OOH.

Iron-doped nickel (oxy)hydroxide catalysts (FexNi1-xOOH) exhibit high electrocatalytic behavior for the oxygen evolution reaction in base. Recent findings suggest that the incorporation of Fe³⁺ into a NiOOH lattice leads to nearly optimal adsorption energies for OER intermediates on active Fe sites. Utilizing electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and activation energy measurements, we find that pure NiOOH and FeOOH catalysts exhibit exceedingly high Faradaic resistances and activation energies 40-50 kJ/mol^-1 higher than those of the most active FexNi1-xOOH catalysts. Furthermore, the most active FexNi1-xOOH catalysts in this study exhibit activation energies that approach those previously reported for IrO2 OER catalysts.