Cover Picture: Universality in Oxygen Evolution Electrocatalysis on Oxide Surfaces (ChemCatChem 7/2011)

The cover picture shows an electrolysis cell for converting electricity into chemical energy in terms of hydrogen. The anode catalysis, where the oxygen evolution reaction takes place, is responsible for the main part of the total overpotential, limiting the efficiency of electrolysis. Based on density functional simulations a universal limitation for the oxygen evolution reaction is established, which is independent of the catalyst material. The resulting activity volcano is shown on the cover. In their VIP Full Paper on p. 1159 ff., Rossmeisl et al. report that the trends in the predicted electrocatalytic activity compare well with experiments from the literature. This comparison is also indicated on the cover.