Phase pure alpha-Mn2O3 prisms and their bifunctional electrocatalytic activity in oxygen evolution and reduction reactions

Synthesizing manganese oxide materials with exact control of the nanoparticle shape and phase is difficult, making it challenging to understand the influence of the surface structure on electrocatalysis. Here we describe an inexpensive, low-temperature method to synthesize single-crystal orthorhombic phase alpha-Mn2O3 prisms bound by the {100} facets. The synthesis is the first method to use the cation bridging effect to assist in the creation of alpha-Mn2O3 prisms. According to structural analysis using X-ray diffraction, X-ray pair-distribution function (PDF) measurements and high resolution transmission electron microscopy, the material is composed exclusively of alpha-Mn2O3 prisms, and no additional amorphous or nanocrystalline phases are present. Heating the prisms transformed the material to a more symmetrical, cubic phase alpha-Mn2O3 that exhibited strong bifunctional electrocatalytic activity for the oxygen evolution (OER) and oxygen reduction (ORR) reactions. We compared the oxygen electrode activities (OEA) and found that the alpha-Mn2O3 prisms performed 79% better than commercially- produced alpha-Mn2O3 powders, indicating that these alpha-Mn2O3 prisms perform well as inexpensive, earth-abundant materials for reversible electrodes.