Circumventing the OCl versus OOH scaling relation in the chlorine evolution reaction: Beyond dimensionally stable anodes

The development of selective electrocatalysts for the chlorine evolution reaction (CER) is majorly restrained by a scaling relation between the OCl and OOH adsorbates, rendering that active CER catalysts are also reasonably active in the competing oxygen evolution reaction (OER). While theory predicts that the OCl versus OOH scaling relation can be circumvented as soon as the elementary reaction steps in the CER comprise the Cl rather than the OCl adsorbate, it was demonstrated recently that PtN4 sites embedded in a carbon nanotube follow this theoretical prediction. Advanced experimental analyses illustrate that the PtN4 sites also reveal a different reaction kinetics compared to the industrial benchmark of dimensionally stable anodes (DSA). A reverse Volmer-Heyrovsky mechanism was identified, in which the rate-determining Volmer step for small overpotentials is followed by the kinetically limiting Heyrovsky step for larger overpotentials. Since the PtN4 sites excel DSA in terms of activity and chlorine selectivity, we suggest the Cl intermediate as well as the reverse Volmer-Heyrovsky mechanism as the design criteria for the development of next-generation electrode materials beyond DSA.