A low-cost commercial Cu(ii)-EDTA complex for electrocatalytic water oxidation in neutral aqueous solution

Herein, we choose a commercial Cu complex [Cu(EDTA)(H2O)] (EDTA = ethylene diamine tetraacetic acid) as a molecular catalyst for water oxidation to avoid complex synthesis and lower catalyst cost. [Cu(EDTA)(H2O)] could catalyze the water oxidation reaction efficiently under neutral conditions with an overpotential of 684 mV, a k(cat) of 8.03 s(-1) and good stability in the long-term electrolysis. Our finding is of great significance for the development of stable, rapid, and easily accessible catalysts for water oxidation.

Automated summary

In this study, a commercial Cu complex was chosen as a molecular catalyst for water oxidation due to its simple synthesis and low cost. The chosen catalyst exhibited efficient catalytic activity for water oxidation under neutral conditions, with good stability in long-term electrolysis.