Sc-Doped Mn2O3 from a Permanganate Precursor for Electrocatalytic Oxygen Evolution.

The development of nonprecious metal catalysts has garnered significant attention in the field of electrocatalytic water oxidation. Inspired by the efficient Mn-based center in photosynthesis for oxygen evolution, research has been increasingly focused on manganese oxides for electrocatalytic water oxidation. In this study, an Sc-doped permanganate precursor was employed to successfully prepare Sc-Mn₂O₃ catalysts with improved electrocatalytic performance. The annealing of the precursor with an organic cation creates mesoporous structures, while the Sc³⁺ substitution at the Mn³⁺ sites induces lattice expansion, regulates electronic structure of Mn, and increases the oxygen vacancy of the catalyst. These synergistic effects largely promote the electrocatalytic water oxidation reaction. This study demonstrates the critical role of precursor-mediated doping of Sc with high electronegativity as a new approach to enhancing the electrocatalytic oxygen evolution reaction performance of Mn-based materials.