Strontium-Induced Lattice Oxygen Activation in Pr-Based Perovskites for High-Efficiency Water Oxidation

The development of low-cost and high-performance noble-metal-free catalysts for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) is central to advancing alkaline water electrolysis. This work introduces a novel “composition–thermal history” design strategy, synergistically combining controlled A-site Sr 2+ doping with optimized high-temperature sintering (950°C) in Pr-based perovskite. The resulting Pr 0.75 Sr 0.25 Ni 0.7 Co 0.3 O 3 (PSNC-25) exhibits unprecedented nanostructuring and a maximized concentration of oxygen vacancies, unlocking efficient OER via lattice oxygen-mediated mechanism. Sr-induced lattice distortion drastically reduces oxygen vacancy formation energy from 2.06 to 1.14 eV, promoting facile lattice oxygen participation. Thermal engineering stabilizes high-valence Co 4+ /Ni 3+ states and enhances M─O covalency. Electrochemically, PSNC-25 achieves exceptional activity in 1 M KOH: a low overpotential of 389 mV at 10 mA cm −2 and a Tafel slope of 83 mV dec −1 , significantly surpassing undoped PrNi 0.7 Co 0.3 O 3 (η 10 ＞ 570 mV). It also exhibits robust durability, by > 120 h chronopotentiometry at 10 mA cm −2 with only ∼45 mV potential drift. This work establishes a rational framework for activating LOM in cost-effective perovskites through dopant-induced electronic modulation and nano-structural control, advancing scalable green hydrogen production.