Mn2O3 oxide with bixbyite structure for the electrochemical oxygen reduction reaction in alkaline media: highly active if properly manipulated

Abstract We consider compositional and structural factors which can affect the activity of bixbyite α-Mn2O3 towards the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) and the stability of this oxide in alkaline solution. We compare electrochemistry of undoped, Fe and Al-doped α-Mn2O3 with bixbyite structure and braunite Mn7SiO12 having bixbyite-related crystal structure, using the rotating disk electrode (RDE), the rotating ring-disc electrode (RRDE), and cyclic voltammetry (CV) techniques. All manganese oxides under study are stable in the potential range between the ORR onset and ca. 0.7 V vs. Reversible Hydrogen Electrode (RHE). It is found that any changes introduced in the bixbyite structure and/or composition of α-Mn2O3 lead to an activity drop in both the oxygen reduction and hydrogen peroxide reactions in this potential interval. For the hydrogen peroxide reduction reaction these modifications also result in a change in the nature of the rate-determining step. The obtained results confirm that due to its unique crystalline structure undoped α-Mn2O3 is the most ORR active (among currently available) Mn oxide catalyst and favor the assumption of the key role of the (111) surface of α-Mn2O3 in the very high activity of this material towards the ORR.